In recent years businesses have had to learn to live with uncertainty. New research that asked 100 SAP IT decision makers about the challenges they face today has found that 93% of organisations have been subjected to rapid change within the last 24 months. While this is hardly surprising given the global pandemic and Brexit, there are other factors that are creating enormous shifts, from ever evolving client expectations, to a surge in M&A activity.

The research from Ensono, a leading hybrid IT services provider and SAP on Azure specialist, found that IT teams are facing a myriad of challenges from every corner, each forcing a difficult balancing act about the company’s future technology strategy.

Key findings include: 

• COVID-19 & remote working: Unsurprisingly, COVID-19 and remote working topped the findings, with 76% and 60% respondents respectively pointing it as having an impact on their organisation. The effect of COVID-19 on IT departments varies significantly by sector; 89% of IT decision makers in manufacturing and production firms stated it has led to rapid change versus just 65% in IT, technology and telco.
• Brexit & multilateralism: The last two years have seen a reshaping of the global political order, affecting how UK businesses operate abroad. 43% of the surveyed said that Brexit, trade agreements and multilateralism have created major change in their organisations. This rises to 54% in business and professional services and 67% in manufacturing.
• Regulation & security: The research also reveals that the usual pressures of changes in the regulatory environment (31%) and the ever demanding and increasing risk around security breaches (23%) remain high on the agenda, with the additional burden of the ongoing effect of COVID-19 layered on top.
• M&A activity rebounded to the highest third quarter on record, as the total value of $5billion+ deals signed worldwide hit $456 billion in the three months to September. This resurgence of M&A after the record lows in Q2 added to IT decision makers’ stress, as they navigated the complex transition of people, processes, and technology that comes with any merger. IT leaders in manufacturing are feeling the pressure here the most, with 44 per cent stating this has led to rapid change in the last 24 months.

Other interesting findings include:

• 1 in 4 financial services, and technology companies have had to adapt quickly to digital upstarts shifting models.
• 21% IT decision-makers are having to change quickly to keep up with changing client and customer expectations, rising to 38 per cent in business and professional services.

Barney Taylor, Managing Director, Europe, Ensono, said: “As businesses have had to quickly adapt to the new working realities brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the IT department has been trusted to act fast and deliver so businesses can continue to move forward and safely address the needs of their team members and customers.”

“It’s important that digital transformation happening now and into the future continues to deliver to the business. CIOs need to ensure they are not innovating in a vacuum and are taking the necessary steps to ensure they are delivering not only to the business and shareholders, but ultimately to their end users.”

For more insights, you can download the full report, Overcoming the barriers to SAP migrations.

Has your organisations been subjected to rapid change in the last 24 months from any of the following?