Tech Trends 2018: Introduction | Deloitte Insights
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Introduction: The symphonic enterprise

By Bill Briggs, Craig Hodgetts
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December 05, 2017

Introduction: The symphonic enterprise Tech Trends 2018

December 05, 2017
  • Bill Briggs
  • Craig Hodgetts
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As digital reality, cognitive, and blockchain continue to redefine IT and business, organizations should look to move beyond vertical or horizontal approaches to new technology. Ideally, strategy, technology, and operations should work together, in harmony, across domains and boundaries.

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The renowned German conductor Kurt Masur once noted that an orchestra full of stars can be a disaster. Though we have no reason to believe the maestro was speaking metaphorically, his observation does suggest something more universal: Without unity and harmony, discord prevails.

Many companies competing in markets that are being turned upside down by technology innovation are no strangers to discord. Today, digital reality, cognitive, and blockchain—stars of the enterprise technology realm—are redefining IT, business, and society in general. In the past, organizations typically responded to such disruptive opportunities by launching transformation initiatives within technology domains. For example, domain-specific cloud, analytics, and big data projects represented bold, if singleminded, embraces of the future. Likewise, C-suite positions such as “chief digital officer” or “chief analytics officer” reinforced the primacy of domain thinking.

But it didn’t take long for companies to realize that treating some systems as independent domains is suboptimal at best. Complex predictive analytics capabilities delivered little value without big data. In turn, big data was costly and inefficient without cloud. Everything required mobile capabilities. After a decade of domain-specific transformation, one question remains unanswered: How can disruptive technologies work together to achieve larger strategic and operational goals?

We are now seeing some forward-thinking organizations approach change more broadly. They are not returning to “sins of the past” by launching separate, domain-specific initiatives. Instead, they are thinking about exploration, use cases, and deployment more holistically, focusing on how disruptive technologies can complement each other to drive greater value. For example, blockchain can serve as a new foundational protocol for trust throughout the enterprise and beyond. Cognitive technologies make automated response possible across all enterprise domains. Digital reality breaks down geographic barriers between people, and systemic barriers between humans and data. Together, these technologies can fundamentally reshape how work gets done, or set the stage for new products and business models.

The theme of this year’s Tech Trends report is the symphonic enterprise, an idea that describes strategy, technology, and operations working together, in harmony, across domains and boundaries. This is the ninth edition of Tech Trends, and in a way, it represents the culmination of our dogged efforts to examine the powerful technology forces that are remaking our world. The trends we discussed early on in the series, such as digital, cloud, and analytics, are now embraced across industries. Meanwhile, more recent trends, such as autonomic platforms, machine intelligence, and digital reality, continue to gain momentum.

This year, we invite you to look at emerging technology trends from a different angle. When technologies act in unison, we no longer see the enterprise vertically (focused on line of business or isolated industries) or horizontally (focused on business processes or enabling technologies). In the symphonic enterprise, the old lines become blurred, thus creating a diagonal view that illuminates new business opportunities and creative ways of solving problems. For example, in the new core chapter, we discuss how in the near future, digitized finance and supply chain organizations could blur the lines between the two functions. Sound unlikely? Consider this scenario:

IoT sensors on the factory floor generate data that supply chain managers use to optimize shipping and inventory processes. When supply chain operations become more efficient and predictable, finance can perform more accurate forecasting and planning. This, in turn, allows dynamic pricing or adjustments to cash positions based on real-time visibility of operations. Indeed, the two functions begin sharing investments in next-generation ERP, the Internet of Things, machine learning, and RPA. Together, finance and supply chain functions shift from projects to platforms, which expands the potential frame of impact. Meanwhile, business leaders and the C-suite are increasingly interested only in strategy and outcomes, not the individual technologies that drive them. Does the convergence of finance and supply chain really seem so unlikely?

Of course, some domain-specific approaches remain valuable. Core assets still underpin the IT ecosystem. Cyber and risk protocols are as critical as ever. CIO strategies for running “the business of IT” are valuable and timeless. Yet we also recognize a larger trend at work, one that emphasizes the unified “orchestra” over individual advances in technology.

We hope this latest edition of Tech Trends helps you develop a more in-depth understanding of technology forces at work today. We also hope it can help you begin building a symphonic enterprise of your own. Beautiful music awaits.

 

Authors

Bill Briggs is chief technology officer of Deloitte Consulting LLP and is based in Kansas City, Mo.

Craig Hodgetts is the national managing principal of Technology in Deloitte Consulting LLP and is based in Costa Mesa, Calif.

Acknowledgements

Global impact authors

Sean Donnelly, Mark Lillie, Kevin Russo, Gordon Shields, Hans van Grieken, and Kevin Walsh

Global impact content developed in collaboration with:

Maria Arroyo, Aarti Balakrishna, Redouane Bellefqih, Magda Brzezicka, Lorenzo Cerulli, Christian Combes, David Conway, Javier Corona, Heidi Custers, Eric Delgove, Freddy du Toit, Salimah Esmail, Clifford Foster, Wojciech Fraczek, Ruben Fuentes, Juan Pedro Gravel, Steve Hallam, Kim Hallenheim, Andrew Hill, Rob Hillard, Jessica Jagadesan, Jesper Kamstrup-Holm, John Karageorgiou, Andreas Klein, James Konstanczak, Karoly Kramli, Rajeev Lalwani, Patrick Laurent, Fernando Laurito, Mariadora Lepore, Michael MacNicholas, Tony Manzano, Daniel Martyniuk, Os Mata, Brad Miliken, Richard Miller, Andre Filipe Pedro, Fabio Luis Alves Pereira, Kyara Ramraj, Steve Rayment, Kathy Robins, Galit Rotstein, Goncalo Jose Santos, Rizwan Saraf, Catrina Sharpe, Paul Sin, Christophe Vallet, Andries van Dijk, Andre Vermeulen, Markku Viitanen, Gilad Wilk, Ben Wylie, and Mohamed Yusuf

Global impact methodology

In Q3 2017, Deloitte Consulting LLP surveyed 60 leaders at Deloitte member firms in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, and the Americas on the impact (existing and potential) of the seven trends discussed in Tech Trends 2018. Specifically, for each trend we asked them to rank their respective regions in terms of 1) relevance of the trend; 2) timeliness of each trend; and 3) readiness for the trend. We also asked each leader to provide a written perspective to support their rankings. Based on their responses, we identified 10 geographic regions in which the trends discussed in Tech Trends 2018 were either poised to advance or are already advancing: North America, South America, Northern Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe, the Middle East, Israel, South Africa, Australia, and Asia. The countries that are represented in these regions include Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Middle East, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We summarized respondent perspectives that applied to each of these regions. Those summary findings and regional ranking are discussed in this report and presented visually in trend-specific infographics.

Contributors

Rahul Bajpai, Charles Balders, Ranjit Bawa, William Beech, Melissa Bingham, Naaman Curtis, Traci Daberko, Asha Dakshinamoorthy, Larry Danielson, Sukhdev Darira, Preetha Devan, Tim Dickey, Habeeb Dihu, Sean Donnelly, Tony Easterlin, Jon Eick, Nikita Garia, Ryan Gervais, Doug Gish, Lee Haverman, Erica Lee Holley, Chris Huff, Mary Hughes, Lisa Iliff, Sarah Jersild, Junko Kaji, Abrar Khan, Kim Killinger, Krishna Kumar, Sunny Mahil, Melissa Mailley, Karen Mazer, Bev McDonald, Laura McGoff, Peter Miller, Alexander Mogg, Ramani Moses, Pratyush Mulukutla, Devon Mychal, Mahima Nair, Chandra Narra, Alice Nhu, Renu Pandit, Alison Paul, Linda Pawczuk, Joanie Pearson, Alok Pepakayala, Rick Perez, Anoop R, Robert Rooks, Maximilian Schroeck, Ashley Scott, Faisal Shaikh, Alina Shapovalenko, Omer Sohail, Rithu Thomas, JT Thomson, Jonathan Trichel, and Paul Wellener

Research team

Leads: Jasjit Bal, Gokul Bhaghavantha Rao, Michael Davis, Rachel Halvordson, Solomon Kassa, Alyssa Long, Andrea Reiner, and Nicholas Tawse

Team members: Jackie Barr, Trent Beilke, Nick Boncich, Matt Butler, Sean Cremins, Jiten Dajee, Ankush Dongre, Cristin Doyle, Kevin Errico, Alex Feiszli, Inez Foong, Rob Garrett, Amy Golem, Sam Greenlief, Grace Ha, Dylan Hooe, Syed Jehangir, Yili Jiang, Nandita Karambelkar, Ava Kong, Kaitlyn Kuczer, Varun Kumar, Kartikeya Kumar, Andrew Lee, Anthony Lim, Luke Liu, Andrea Lora, Betsy Lukins, Lea Ann Mawler, Joe McAsey, Robert Miller, Talia O’Brien, Deepak Padmanabhan, Sarita Patankar, Ellie Peck, Gilberto Rodriguez, Katrina Rudisel, Cabell Spicer, Jordan Stone, Jenna Swinney, Elizabeth Thompson, Casey Volanth, Greg Waldrip, Myette Ware, Michelle Young, and Chris Yun

Special thanks

Mariahna Moore for leading the charge and bringing your inimitable spark to Tech Trends. Amazing job building out the core team around you, setting (and exceeding) standards of excellence, while driving toward (and meeting!) what seemed like impossible deadlines. Here’s to a holiday season focused on family instead of risk reviews and launch plans.

Doug McWhirter for your mastery of form and function, making good on our promise to spin brilliant prose from armies of researchers, torrents of interviews, and galleries of SMEs. Tech Trends 2018 quite simply wouldn’t have happened without your pen, your editorial beacon, and your perseverance.

Liz Mackey for stepping into the Tech Trends fire and blowing us all away. You took the day-to-day helm and delivered in every imaginable way—with calm, patience, grace, and the right amount of tireless determination to keep the ship steady through the inevitable fire drills.

Dana Kublin for continued singular brilliance, leading all things creative—the theme, artwork, layout, infographics, motion graphics, and more. Beyond your vision and artistry, your leadership and teamwork are indispensable to not just Tech Trends but the broader OCTO.

Patricia Staino for making a huge impact, adding your talents with the written word to content throughout the research, spinning blindingly insightful prose across chapters, lessons, My Takes, and more.

Chuck Stern for upping our marketing game, doing an excellent job with our launch planning and our broader marketing mission. While providing a much needed outside-in lens to the insanity of our ninth year Tech Trend-ing.

Tracey Parry for doing an incredible job filling big shoes around external communications and PR. You brought an amazing spark to the team, while delivering above and beyond (amidst adjusting to the chaos). You’ll definitely be missed, but good luck on the adventures to come.

Maria Gutierrez as you jump back into the fray with the newest member of the OCTO family, bringing your talents to not just Tech Trends but our broader Signature Issue positioning. We’re thrilled to have you back and can’t wait to see where you take us in the new role.

Stefanie Heng for jumping in wherever you could help—writing, designing, shaping, and improving our content and the app. And for being the engine behind our client and market engagement around all things Tech Trends—navigating through the strategic and the underlying details without missing a beat.

Melissa Doody for expanding your role and impact, making your mark across creative and design. Looking forward to seeing your influence grow as you become a seasoned Tech Trends veteran.

Deniz Oker and Nick Patton for the tremendous impact made in your inaugural Tech Trends effort—helping coordinate research, and diving in to help wherever needed. Thanks for everything you did to make Tech Trends 2018 our best one yet.

Mitch Derman for your great help with everything from internal communications to our latest round of “Five Minutes On” videos.

Matthew Budman, Troy Bishop, Kevin Weier, Amy Bergstrom, and the tremendous Deloitte Insights team. Tech Trends wouldn’t happen without your collaboration, your editorial brilliance, and your support. You help us raise the bar every year; more importantly, you’re a huge part of how we exceed those expectations.

Topics in this article

Tech Trends , Technology , Emerging technologies

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