The Covid-19 pandemic has forced businesses worldwide to significantly speed up their digital transformation projects. However, a new report from integration and API platform provider MuleSoft claims that just over a third of businesses actually have the skills and technology to keep pace with digital projects.
Polling 1,739 line of business (LoB) employees in organizations with at least 250 staff, MuleSoft found that less than a third (29 percent) see their organization as very effective at connecting and using data from multiple sources to drive business value.
Quick and easy access to data, IT systems, and applications is perceived as pivotal for efficiency and productivity. More than half (59 percent) of LoB employees consider access to data critical because they're involved in identifying, suggesting, or creating new ways to improve the delivery of digital services externally.
All of the above causes a lot of frustration, with roughly half (51 percent) of respondents aggravated by the slow speed of IT departments delivering digital projects.
Further, almost half of respondents claimed their organization’s IT department was a hindrance to innovation, mostly due to data being siloed, and a third said the pandemic revealed a lack of connectivity between IT systems, applications and data.
“Every industry faces immediate change, and every organization needs to respond to the needs of its customers faster than ever before in a digital-first world,” said Brent Hayward, CEO, MuleSoft.
“This research shows data is one of the most critical assets that businesses need to move fast and thrive into the future. Organizations need to empower every employee to unlock and integrate data — no matter where it resides — to deliver critical, time-sensitive projects and innovation at scale, while making products and services more connected than ever."