Tech Helps Business Transition to Agile Strategies

By Dennis McCafferty

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Operational Overhaul

90% of executives surveyed said their company has significantly adjusted its operating model in the last year.
Authoritative Direction

62% of execs at high-performing organizations said the ability to build the right leadership team is the most important factor in improving agility.
Change Driver

52% of C-suite execs expect digital efforts to trigger significant changes—or even complete transformations—in their industry.
Enabling Asset

58% of respondents believe technology improves communications by enabling employees to connect with a team or the broader organization.
Team Power

86% said their organization leverages the power of collaboration among all employees to achieve high performance.
Group Effort

Executives at high-performing companies said collaborative technologies are 80% effective at improving productivity.
Freedom to Fail

42% of employees surveyed consider management's tolerance of failure an important factor in fostering a culture of experimentation. Only 12% said their company does this effectively.
Data Dive

80% of the organizations surveyed use analytical tools and capabilities to develop business insights.
Wide View

48% of execs from high-growth companies said their leadership teams have worked to incorporate a broader range of perspectives and skills in their organizations.
Hired Guns

44% of executives at high-growth companies have used temporary teams and task forces to tackle problems.
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The vast majority of organizations have reinvented their operating models over the past year, according to survey research from Accenture. This, of course, speaks to the growing demand for agile-driven business strategies, and technology is playing a significant factor in helping companies make the necessary transitions. Senior executives recognize that emerging innovations will transform their industries, so they're encouraging internal IT teams to introduce better collaborative and analytics tools throughout the organization to more effectively manage change. While this sounds encouraging, there is a cautionary note: A significant number of employees do not feel their corporate leadership adequately supports a culture of experimentation. Apparently, failure is still not an option at many companies. In an agile universe, however, failure is typically perceived as an opportunity to learn from mistakes and emerge stronger as a result. The research, which includes perspectives of executives from high-growth, high-performance companies, is compiled from a variety of Accenture surveys completed over the past year.

This article was originally published on 2015-03-27

Dennis McCafferty is a freelance writer for Baseline Magazine.

Tech Helps Business Transition to Agile Strategies

Operational Overhaul

Authoritative Direction

Change Driver

Enabling Asset

Team Power

Group Effort

Freedom to Fail

Data Dive

Wide View

Hired Guns