Accelerating Digital Transformation: The Future is Now

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, we all had to rethink the most basic rhythms of our lives from how we interact to how we shop. In fact, McKinsey & Company recently reported that U.S. e-commerce penetration saw 10 years' growth in just three months.

But it isn’t just e-commerce. Newly released results from Dell Technologies’ Digital Transformation Index  shows that 80 percent of organizations globally have fast-tracked some digital transformation programs. And when compared against a benchmark study from 2018, nearly 25 percent of respondents have progressed from being digital “laggards” and “followers” to a more advanced stage of their digital journey.

These findings support what I saw first-hand, as customers quickly transitioned to working remotely while keeping financial systems running, or delivering healthcare and education, or developing a vaccine and a cure. For many businesses, digital three-year plans got done in three months. Areas where investments are being made include cybersecurity, 5G infrastructure, remote work capabilities, privacy software, digital experiences for customers and employees and data management tools.

Still, more than half of respondents worry that they aren't moving fast enough. 89 percent of organizations say the pandemic has shown the need for more agile and scalable IT and a full 79 percent say they are reinventing their business model.

While much uncertainty remains regarding the impact of COVID-19, one thing is clear. Technology has never been more central than it is right now. We’ve been given a glimpse of the future, and that future is now. Organizations that are accelerating their digital transformation will be poised for success in the Data Era that is unfolding before our eyes. We are never fully going back to the way things were a year ago, which is ok. It’s an exciting opportunity to launch a brighter tomorrow.

For more on how organizations of all sizes are accelerating their digital journey please check out Dell Technologies World Digital Experience, and see for yourself how the forces of technology innovation are bringing us into a new era of human progress.