One of the biggest issues when it comes to dealing with IT for SMBs in Toronto, is the challenge of finding the right IT skillset and IT tools. Technology is evolving so rapidly that falling behind simply means loss of business and competitive edge. That means business must find the right people with the right skills to help them make the right IT decisions, or partner up with professional IT consulting Calgary to ensure business IT success.
In today’s world, the trick to survival is being ahead of the game, and one of current challenges to doing that successfully is finding the right talent for the job. The following article shares more insight:
IT talent biggest roadblock to digital transformation
A global study from IDT, conducted in collaboration with SAP, surveyed 81 executives (65 percent of which identified themselves as CIOs) and found that 80 percent of businesses cite digital transformation as a priority. However, according to the report, only 35 percent of respondents said their business actually had a “clearly defined digital transformation strategy.”
Although digital transformation is important to businesses, companies are still dragging their heels on developing a strategy. One thing that might be holding businesses back the most is hiring, according to a study from The Hackett Group. The study found that for midsized and large businesses, one of the biggest roadblocks with digital transformation has been actually finding and sourcing talent with the right skills.
“Without the right skills in IT and other business units, companies will not understand the possibilities of what can be accomplished through digital transformation and they won’t define a digital transformation strategy,” says Scott Holland, principal, Global Advisory Practice Leader at The Hackett Group.
The skills gap
IDT found that only 17 percent of respondents had enough employees with the right skills to embark on a smooth digital transformation. While, at the same time, The Hackett Group study identified talent as the “most important determinant of IT’s capability to successfully address its key issues,” in relation to digital transformation.
While it is a challenge to find someone who can take of all your IT needs, the other end of the spectrum requires businesses to keep up with the IT itself. By now, technology has proven how much it can simplify work processes as well increase productivity, and it only natural that every business would want to leverage that as much as possible. Check out the article below to know more on how SMBs are predicted to behave in the upcoming days:
69 Percent of SMBs Focus IT Budget on Emerging Tech
Sixty-nine percent of small and medium-sized businesses are devoting part of their IT budget for 2016 to newer and emerging technologies. These include technologies like 3D printers and wearable devices, as well as dashboard and data visualization software applications. The stat comes from a new survey-based whitepaper by technology company Insight Enterprises Inc. (NASDAQ: NSIT).
That figure raises to three in four tech influencers from large companies (74 percent) who are planning to invest in newer, more adaptable technology, and (75 percent) from medium-sized companies, says the Fortune 500 global tech provider of hardware, software, cloud and service solutions for small businesses.
In this whitepaper, small companies are defined as having less than 100 employees, medium companies have 100 to 999 employees, and large companies have 1,000 or more employees.
But Why are So Many Businesses Adding Emerging Tech to their IT Budget?
According to the report, a sizable number of business owners (65 percent) are apprehensive about emerging technology. They are concerned about disruption from technology innovation, such as new devices, applications and software solutions that are hitting the market at an incredible rate. Maybe you are one of those who are truly concerned about the impact new tech will have on your business landscape.
While tech innovations continue to emerge at unprecedented rates, reshaping the business landscape, innovative technology is also becoming increasingly accessible and affordable, says the Arizona-based Insight Enterprises. This accessibility creates more opportunity for growing businesses to revamp their infrastructure and consider how new technologies can be integrated in business via their IT budget.
If you are a small or medium business operating in Toronto, the above articles should give you some clear directions to focus your invest and resources on. If you are still unsure about if you should look for new IT tools and talent, here’s a video by CBS Interactive’s Steve Comstock about how IT needs to add value to the business side of the company.
