Boost business performance with the right tech investments

Three major categories of IT interest and investment right now are cloud, AI and automation; and emerging tech. But, we see a wide variation in adoption and maturity of use based on industry and unique business characteristics.

Use AI and Automation to enable the business and drive non-linear growth

While AI is often thought of as new, this is mostly the result of the recent explosion in interest in generative AI (genAI). AI encompasses many subcategories, from machine learning for predictive outcomes to the newest genAI. Automation includes robotic process automation (RPA) for routine tasks, digital process automation (DPA) for more complex process automation and intelligent automation to take over administrative and knowledge worker tasks. Your AI and automation potential will depend on your starting point, your appetite for risk and geographic and industry factors.

Use cloud platforms as a foundation for best practices and a stairway to growth

Cloud is a critical enabling technology for most organisations today; nearly all organisations report having adopted public cloud at least somewhere. However, there is no one-size-fits-all cloud mix — or even a shared starting point. Some organisations could still reap significant benefit simply by modernising antiquated technologies and replacing them with SaaS or cloud. Other organisations further along their journey may be more active in supporting hybrid and multi-cloud platforms paired with governance platforms, AI for IT operations, and security.

Use relevant emerging technologies to turbocharge high-performance IT

Emerging technologies are those rapidly evolving tech categories with the potential to fundamentally transform consumer activities, business operations, and economic markets. Today’s emerging technology cohort forms an acronym soup: NLP (natural language processing), 5G (fifth-generation cellular network), IoT (internet of things), and new forms of AI (artificial intelligence). To identify the relevant emerging technologies for your organisation, assess how each aligns with your firm’s business strategy, existing IT investments, market priorities, and risk tolerance. For example, blockchain is distributed ledger technology (DLT) that records transactions across many computers so that the record can’t be altered retroactively without alerting all subsequent blocks and the network. We typically see certain industries gravitate towards specific emerging tech such as how manufacturers are gravitating to digital twin and IoT while financial services may be more likely to use blockchain.

Your business needs and your tech realities must drive your next move

When developing your technology roadmap for high-performance IT, start by digging deep into your current situation, asking questions such as:

• What are my organisation’s top goals? 
• Do any parts of the business have unique requirements? 
• What are my peers doing, such as by industry or country? 
• What is our starting point? 
• What are my key constraints? 
• Does the investment improve our flexibility and adaptivity? 

Current business needs, such as growth versus innovation versus cost control, will always dictate the best next move. It is also imperative to look at your current state, your risk appetite, and your competing priorities to see where you can make the biggest impact for the short- and long-term.

You can also read about Forrester’s High Performance IT research here.

by Liz Herbert, VP principal analyst