Latest Reports

• Network and Digital Services were Never More Vital

  As organizations emerge from the pandemic and adopt flexible hybrid operating models, the reliance on digital technologies has only increased, with mobility at its center point. The cloud, cybersecurity, and network form the foundational pillars to enable organizations to achieve digital transformation, as it requires unfettered access to data across the entire infrastructure. This Research Byte outlines what organizations must rapidly do to manage networks and infrastructure as they make the changes enacted during the pandemic permanent. It builds on findings from the Orange Business Services Analyst Event, held on July 6–7, 2022, and Avasant Research.

  September, 2022

• Beyond Sales Force Automation: CRM Suites Deliver Strategic Enterprise Value

  Customer relationship management (CRM) systems today are no longer just about sales force automation. Leading CRM suite providers make customer service operations more efficient and improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. They also provide a deeper understanding of customer needs by leveraging data across multiple touchpoints and use those insights to personalize marketing communication. This improves customer engagement, increases website traffic, and enhances sales performance. This Research Byte is a brief summary of our full Customer Relationship Management Suites 2022 RadarView™..

  August, 2022

• Applying ESG to the IT Organization

  Increasing concerns about the effects of climate change and socio-economic disparities have made environmental, social, and governance (ESG) compliance a front-burner issue for organizations around the globe. But ESG is not just a program for the organization as a whole. It also has implications for each area of the business. And one of the most important areas is the information technology (IT) function.

  August, 2022

• Outsourcing of Application Management Increasing Despite Growth of SaaS

  As the application portfolio grows, the ongoing support for those systems can become a burden on the IT organization, leaving little time for developing and implementing new systems. In response, a growing number of organizations see outsourcing application management as an attractive option. This Research Byte explores the trend, based on our full report, Application Management Outsourcing Trends and Customer Experience.

• Capital Budgets Make Up Smallest Percentage of IT Spending Ever

  In contrast to the strong growth in nearly all IT spending metrics this year, IT capital budgets continue to fall as a percentage of total IT spending. Once a major indicator of the health of IT spending, capital spending has declined consistently as a percentage of total IT spending in the last 10 years as software as a service and the cloud have changed the way IT organizations do business. Across nearly all sectors, capital budgets are becoming less relevant. This research byte is a brief description of some of the findings in our IT Spending and Staffing Benchmarks 2022/2023 study.

  August, 2022

• Cross-Border Commerce, Digital Currencies, and the Future of Money

  Traditional payment systems are proving to be too slow to accommodate increasing levels of e-commerce and cross-border transactions. And demands for faster payment processing will only increase as commerce enters the omniverse. This Research Byte outlines the factors driving the need for speed in financial transactions. We examine the benefits and drawbacks of one kind of digital currency—cryptocurrencies—and what the future of money could look like. We conclude with recommendations for enterprises to understand and prepare for the future of money.

  August, 2022

• Automation As a Driver for HR Transformation

  With rising labor costs, a skills gap, and the “great resignation,” human capital management is a strategic imperative. It is no longer just about back-office functions but about talent retention and increasing productivity while keeping costs down. Vendors are responding to these challenges by developing new capabilities such as self-service to reduce time on administrative tasks and artificial intelligence to automate processes and make personalized recommendations to employees, managers, and HR staff.

  August, 2022

• IT Vendor Governance the Key to Realizing Value from IT Supplier Relationships

  IT vendor management is a function and set of practices that guide the selection, management, and assessment of IT suppliers to ensure that all parties comply with the terms of their contracts. IT supplier management has been a best practice for many years, but the disciplines have evolved. Traditional IT vendor governance practices are now inadequate to navigate the changing business ecosystem. The upshot is that most organizations need to transform their vendor governance programs. This Research Byte summarizes our full report on IT Vendor Governance Best Practices.

  August, 2022

• Leveraging Service Providers to Manage Network Complexity

  An increasingly global workforce, more demanding customers, and the rapid growth of cloud computing are all combining to make organizations more reliant on networks. The pandemic accelerated that trend as organizations needed to ramp up their work-from-home capabilities with cloud-based collaboration tools and increased mobility. As networks become more important and more complex, there is pressure to bring in more outside help to manage elements of those networks. This Research Byte summarizes our full report on Network Operations Outsourcing Trends and Customer Experience.

  July, 2022

• An Innovator’s Story: Creating a Business for Lasting Success

  Ring, the first provider of video doorbells, is an interesting case study in innovation. Jamie Siminoff founded the firm in 2013, and, despite walking away from an episode of Shark Tank with no money, grew it to disrupt the home security industry. He eventually sold Ring to Amazon in 2018 for over $1 billion. This Research Byte provides a summary of Siminoff’s keynote and fireside chat at Avasant’s Empowering Beyond Summit earlier this year.

  July, 2022

• Big Quit Hits IT

  In recent years, turnover has been low and steady among IT organizations. So when the “Big Quit” started to make headlines, the perception was that it was primarily led by lower-paid, less-educated workers looking for better pay. But as the headlines started referring to the “Big Quit” as the “Great Resignation,” it became clear that all types of employees in all types of jobs were leaving. Employees, driven by a combination of inflation, a need for more flexible or safer work environments, better work-life balance, the expense of childcare, and other personal reasons, were on the market for different job opportunities—even in IT. This research byte is a brief description of our findings on this subject in our IT Spending and Staffing Benchmarks 2022/2023 study.

  July, 2022

• Ensuring Project Success a Primary Motivation for System Integration Outsourcing

  Many outsourcing decisions are influenced by the need to save money. However, there are some instances where businesses are willing to pay extra for the expertise or operational flexibility that a service provider can deliver. And in the case of system implementation and integration, the primary motivation is to ensure project success. This Research Byte summarizes our full report on System Implementation/Integration Trends and Customer Experience.

  July, 2022