Digital Lifescapes

The evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the sales profession in ways that few could have imagined even a few years ago. Gartner’s recent prediction -- that by 2028, 10 percent of sales associates will use Generative AI (GenAI) tools to covertly manage multiple jobs -- highlights the profound workforce disruption unleashed by this technological revolution. As an independent advisory consultant in the business technology sector, I see this as a pivotal moment for vendor leaders to rethink their sales strategies and the very nature of work, productivity, and employee trust. The AI-Driven Sales Role Transformation The integration of GenAI into sales workflow is already a present-day reality. According to recent market studies, 81 percent of sales teams are either experimenting with or have fully implemented GenAI tools, with some reporting up to a 15 percent revenue uplift and a 10–20 percent increase in sales ROI. The rapidly emerging technology is now considered essen...

In an era where AI is considered an asset for superior leadership, why are over a quarter of marketing organizations still hesitant to use Generative AI ( GenAI ) in their workflows? Recent findings from a Gartner survey reveal a nuanced picture of GenAI adoption in marketing. They highlight its potential and the challenges organizations encounter. The Current State of GenAI Adoption The Gartner survey provides a snapshot of GenAI's integration into marketing strategies. Surprisingly, 27 percent of Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) report limited or no adoption of GenAI in their marketing campaigns. This statistic is particularly striking given the interest surrounding AI in the typical C-suite, suggesting a significant gap between executive desire and marketing implementation. Despite this, the survey also reveals encouraging signs of GenAI's impact: 47 percent of forward-thinking organizations report substantial benefits from adopting GenAI for evaluation and reporting in their...

The gap between digital business aspirations and actual achievements has become increasingly apparent. Recent Gartner research reveals a disconnect: while 87 percent of senior leaders prioritize digitalization, only 48 percent of digital initiatives succeed. This latest assessment demands a deeper examination of digital transformation success factors. The Reality of Digital Transformation The transformation journey extends far beyond technology adoption. Most notably, 91 percent of organizations encounter cultural hurdles during digital implementations—a statistic that should command every executive's attention. This overwhelming figure suggests that many organizations have miscalculated the human element in their digital equation. Traditional transformation barriers persist, but their implications have evolved: The talent shortage (affecting 44 percent of organizations) now represents more than a hiring challenge—it's becoming an existential threat to competitive advantage. Ch...

New IT investment is aligned with digital business growth. The rapid adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies has become a key growth catalyst across many industries. The latest growth forecast from IDC provides a compelling snapshot of the AI market's upward trajectory and underscores its pivotal role in shaping the future of business innovation. Worldwide spending on AI will more than double by 2028, reaching $632 billion. This represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29 percent over the 2024-2028 forecast period. Such rapid adoption is a clear indicator of AI's increasing importance and the willingness of business leaders to invest heavily in the strategic use cases that fuel net-new growth. Artificial Intelligence Market Development "AI-powered transformations have delivered tangible business outcomes and value for organizations worldwide and they are building their AI strategies around employee experience, customer engagement, business process, ...

As an independent management consultant specializing in the tech sector, I've witnessed numerous technological advancements reshape vertical industry workflow and horizontal job functions. However, few innovations have shown as much promise to revolutionize business operations as Generative AI (GenAI). A recent Gartner market study has shed light on the transformative potential of this technology, particularly in the realm of finance. The findings reveal a significant shift in how finance leaders perceive and plan to implement generative AI, signaling a new era of data-driven decision-making and operational efficiency. The Gartner assessment provides compelling insights into the expectations and priorities of finance leaders regarding GenAI adoption. One of the most striking statistics is that 66 percent of finance leaders believe GenAI will have its most immediate impact on explaining forecast and budget variances. GenAI in Finance Market Development This high percentage undersc...

Digital transformation goals continue to influence large enterprise IT spending. Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has now emerged as a transformative technology. Its ability to create entirely new business models or designs holds immense promise across industries. Still, a recent market study by ABI Research, presented at the 'Hannover Messe 2024' event, paints a somewhat cautious picture of GenAI adoption in the global manufacturing sector. ABI Research highlighted a strong presence of GenAI at the event, with industrial software vendors showcasing its application in the form of AI assistants and co-pilots. They forecast revenue from GenAI use cases in manufacturing will reach $10.5 billion by 2034. Manufacturing GenAI Market Development "The dominant use cases leverage core strengths of Large Language Models (LLMs) for Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) programming, code generation, step-by-step work instructions, and data enrichment and consolidation," ...

Data has become the lifeblood of forward-thinking organizations. Market leaders leverage vast troves of data to inform decision-making, personalize customer experiences, and optimize operations. However, extracting value from this digital data requires analytics capabilities. Here's where Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming a powerful tool to unlock actionable insights. AI Data Analytics Market Development According to the latest Gartner market study, there's a significant shift in how organizations approach data and analytics (D&A) due to AI's growing influence on business outcomes. The study found that 61 percent of organizations actively evolve their D&A operating models in response to AI capabilities. This underscores a critical realization: the traditional approaches to data management and analysis are no longer sufficient. The integration of AI into D&A offers several compelling advantages: Enhanced Data Exploration: AI tools can automatically analyze...

With large enterprise business technology decision-making and budget spending now residing with Line of Business (LoB) leaders, rather than traditional IT leadership, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) role must demonstrate strategic skills. By 2028, 80 percent of CIOs will leverage significant organizational changes to harness AI, automation, and analytics, driving agile, insight-driven digital businesses. CIOs must become key players in shaping the future of their companies, guiding them through new trends while putting data at the heart of their business strategies, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). CIO Business Skills Market Development IDC research identified the top 3 concerns among C-suite executives were in digital skills, the lack of LoB trust in IT, and the lack of digital business know-how of C-suite executives. Given this backdrop, the major challenge for CIOs is transitioning from being a technical manager to a strategic archite...

While the vast majority of CEOs anticipate a significant upside growth potential from artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, there are others in the C-suite who are fearful of the impact. Rapid Generative AI (GenAI) adoption is the top-ranked issue for the next two years for Legal, Compliance, and Privacy leaders, according to a recent survey by Gartner. "Increases in capability and usability have prompted rapid and widespread company adoption of GenAI," said Stuart Strome, director of research at  Gartner . Generative AI Market Development While AI regulation is still being developed, however, uncertainties and unforeseen risks abound. Businesses will have to contend with these challenges to ensure the ethical and legal use of this powerful new technology. Gartner identified four areas that business leaders need to address: Limited Visibility into Key Risks The ease of adoption, widespread applicability, and the ability of GenAI tools to perform a range of different busines...

The landscape of Marketing and IT is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by the relentless evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI). New AI apps are rapidly seeping into every facet of business, reshaping customer experiences, streamlining operations, and enabling workflow automation. This presents a vast opportunity for CMOs and CIOs, yet also a disruptive force demanding rapid adaptation. To stay ahead of the AI trend, these key decision-makers must become active participants. International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that by 2027, Generative AI (GenAI) will assume 30 percent of traditional marketing mundane tasks -- such as website optimization, data analysis, customer segmentation, and hyper-personalization. GenAI Applications Market Development According to the IDC survey results, 37.8 percent of CMOs indicated they have already begun implementing GenAI technologies. Also, 51 percent of CMOs say their top business objective in the next 12 months is to improve lead generation ...

Most CIOs recognize the essential role that emerging technology has in enabling digital business transformation. However, what they often don't know is how prepared their employees, IT systems, and internal processes are to embrace change. Gartner has highlighted the six key trends that will have a significant impact on enterprise IT infrastructure and operations (I&O) organizations over the next 12 to 18 months. "I&O leaders have little time, skills and budget to track emerging trends and the full impact of those on I&O," said Jeffrey Hewitt, vice president at Gartner . Savvy leaders should apply the top trends within I&O for 2024 to identify which are most likely to impact their organization, and then implement effective actions in response. According to Gartner's research, the top trends in 2024 are as follows: Machine Customers Machine customers are non-human economic actors that obtain goods or services in exchange for payment, such as virtual per...

The rapid adoption of Generative AI (GenAI) is the top-ranked issue during the next two years for Legal, Compliance, and Privacy leaders, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. In a recent survey of enterprise business leaders, 70 percent of respondents reported rapid GenAI adoption as a top concern for them. "Increases in capability and usability have prompted rapid and widespread company adoption of GenAI," said Stuart Strome, director at Gartner . However, uncertainties and unforeseen risks abound. Leaders will have to contend with these challenges to ensure the ethical and legal use of this powerful technology. Generative AI Market Development Gartner industry analysts have identified four key areas that these leaders need to address. Limited Visibility into Key Risks -- The ease of adoption, widespread applicability, and the ability of GenAI tools to perform a range of different business tasks mean that assurance teams will have limited visibility in...

Digital Transformation has been the focal point for savvy enterprise C-suites and IT organizations hoping to gain competitive advantages by modernizing their core business processes with technology. The goal was to become a Digital Business where value creation is based on new processes, products, services, and customer experiences. Now, the Digital Business era is everywhere.  Companies are seeking new digital revenue streams while transforming operations to reduce costs and increase efficiency. For the CEOs at forward-looking organizations, 2024 will be pivotal. Digital Business Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by IDC, spending on digital business technologies is growing while traditional investment is stagnating or even declining. Demand for digital experiences from customers, employees, partners, and suppliers is pervasive. "Digital transformation was only the first step -- to truly gain value from change, companies need to move to an innovativ...

Are you taking baby steps toward Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption? If so, you're not alone with the enterprise business leaders stuck on the sidelines, while the early adopters gain more momentum. As employees across the globe experiment with Generative AI (GenAI), the most cautious corporate general counsels are issuing guidance that will be valuable to those unsure enterprise leaders. "To craft an effective policy, general counsel must consider risk tolerance, use cases and restrictions, decision rights, and disclosure obligations," said Laura Cohn, senior principal researcher at Gartner . Enterprise Generative AI Market Development Having GenAI guardrails and policies in place will better prepare most slow-moving enterprises for possible future legal requirements. Meanwhile, the market leaders are racing ahead of their peer group. Based on practices in AI policies instituted by companies and city governments, the cautious general counsel should direct organizatio...

The introduction of Artificial intelligence (AI), and the emergence of Generative AI   (GenAI), are now resulting in two key focus areas for Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and their IT leadership team. "GenAI is not just a technology or just a business trend. It is a profound shift in how humans and machines interact," said Mary Mesaglio, VP Analyst at Gartner . "We are moving from what machines can do for us to what machines can be for us." AI platforms are evolving rapidly from being our tools to becoming our teammates. Gartner predicts that by 2025, GenAI will be a workforce partner for 90 percent of companies worldwide. CIO Leadership Market Development CIOs have a major role in how they shape AI and how AI shapes us. According to recent Gartner surveys of CEOs, enterprise CIOs are their number one choice to unlock the value of GenAI tools. In fact, CIOs and IT executives will prioritize two areas to unleash the possibility of AI over the next 12-24 months – ...

In an evolving era of rapid advancement, market demand for innovative technology in the industrial and manufacturing sectors is skyrocketing. Leaders are recognizing the immense potential of digital transformation and are driving initiatives to integrate technologies into their business operations.  These initiatives aim to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and ultimately drive growth and competitiveness in an increasingly digital business upward trajectory. The industrial and manufacturing sectors have been the backbone of the Global Networked Economy, contributing $16 trillion in value in 2021. Industrial and Manufacturing Tech Market Development   This growth represents a 20 percent increase from 2020, highlighting the resilience and adaptability of these sectors in the face of unprecedented challenges, according to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research . The five largest manufacturing verticals -- automotive, computer and electronic, primary metal, food, and ma...

In hindsight, the outcome of short-sighted CEO Return to Office (RTO) mandates was somewhat predictable. Less than one-third of employees now report they are engaged, enthusiastic, and energized by their work, according to the latest market study by Gartner. This research was showcased during their recent "ReimagineHR Conference" event. Gartner defines engagement in three ways: Employees feeling energized. Employees find purpose in their work. Employees feel empowered to do valuable work. The problem: many are not engaged. Employee Engagement Crisis Explained "Despite organizations making investments in engaging their employees, our research shows that almost 70 percent don’t feel as engaged as they should be and aren't feeling a meaningful connection to their job," said Keyia Burton, senior principal analyst at Gartner . Figuring out how to actually impact employee engagement is a huge priority because it has a significant impact on several key business outcome...

The cost of legacy Marketing Technology (Martech) automation is rising. The number of isolated systems is growing, and the benefits are questionable. Marketers are now struggling to justify the expense, when they cannot demonstrate a compelling ROI. Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) are under pressure from their C-suite to reassess their investment in legacy automation and consider alternative solutions that will deliver net-new digital growth results. Marketing Automation Market Development Sixty-three percent of marketing leaders are already planning to invest in Generative AI solutions in the next 24 months, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. Slightly more than half of Gartner survey respondents (56 percent) see greater reward than risk in the adoption of modern Generative AI systems. The Gartner survey of 405 marketing leaders revealed the user utilization of their organization's overall current Martech stack’s capability has dropped to just 33 percent on ...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool to drive digital business growth, make better decisions, and personalize offerings to customers. As a result, forward-thinking CEOs are now actively pursuing AI investments to gain a competitive advantage. Generative AI apps originated with tools such as ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, Generative AI is forecast to add more than $450 billion to the enterprise market across twelve different vertical industries over the next seven years. Gen AI already has hundreds of compelling use cases across these enterprise verticals. But accuracy, performance, and enterprise readiness will mean that use cases will come in three distinct waves. Generative Artificial Intelligence Market Development "Content-heavy verticals like marketing and education are already seeing disruption across a range of job roles in the first wave of adoption," said Reece Hayden, senior analyst at ABI Res...

Throughout most industries, CEOs are focused on their digital transformation initiatives. While the economic outlook for this year includes many uncertainties, one thing remains certain -- the role of technology as the enabler for digital business growth. With that reality in mind, worldwide Information Technology (IT) spending will total $4.6 trillion in 2023, an increase of 5.5 percent from 2022, according to the latest market study by Gartner. Despite continued global economic turbulence, all regions worldwide are projected to have positive IT spending growth in 2023. Business technology investment is somewhat resilient to market conditions. Business Technology Market Development "Macroeconomic headwinds are not slowing digital transformation," said John-David Lovelock, vice president at Gartner . "IT spending will remain strong, even as many countries are projected to have near-flat gross domestic product (GDP) growth and high inflation in 2023." Prioritization ...