To ring in the new year, we are rounding up the top 2022 IT Trends. From cloud solutions to automation and innovation democratization to data analytics, the new year promises advancements in technology applications that will support business growth and further future innovation.

Together, these trends present small and large-scale growth opportunities for individual organizations. And for the global marketplace, as we continue to develop agile responses coming out of the worldwide pandemic.

Continued Cloud Migration

Businesses are moving to the cloud. This is more than a 2022 IT Trend. It is a new reality. With some of the early adopters already one hundred percent on the cloud, those who have resisted cloud adoption will have trouble keeping up with their competitors. Moving to the cloud saves human capital, infrastructure, and construction costs. Widespread savings like this provide a smart solution to many of the financial challenges raised by the pandemic.

If there is any doubt that business is on the cloud in 2022, look no farther than mainframe. Even the old enterprise stalwart is moving to the cloud. In fact, mainframe cloud solutions offer performance opportunities to mid-size and small companies that would never be able to afford to support an in-house mainframe infrastructure.

With that in mind, cloud migration strategies are key to 2022 enterprise plans. If you and your team have not yet integrated cloud migration, or cloud management, into your overall strategy, now is the time.

Automation 2022 IT Trend: RPA

Early in 2021, we remarked on the fast growth of robotic process automation. And how, in an environment marked by accelerated growth, it is important to recognize that not all RPA solutions provide the same level of value.

That said, RPA will continue to be an important 2022 IT trend, an essential component in business tool kits across industries. In fact, automation at large is much more than a trend to watch. In the new year, expect to see RPA with increased workload capacity across industries.

But do not make the mistake of associating RPA with efficiency alone. In fact, as the new year progresses, we anticipate seeing even more of the favorable financial impact of RPA. This includes the use of automation in fraud prevention and risk mitigation. This, of course, is in addition to those efficiency-level improvements like the deployment of repeatable, reliable processes and the elimination of downtime.

This is especially important for financial sector businesses. With no downtime, 80% of processes in finance and accounting are candidates for automation. We have talked about how RPA brings new efficiencies and financial gains before. And there has been a lot of excitement around RPA conversations.  It is important to recognize that, in 2022, we are post-RPA hype. We are now looking at RPA not as an emerging 2022 IT trend, but a new, standard component of business efficiency and profitability.

Democratizing Innovation with the Citizenship Development Model

2022 will be the year of democratizing IT innovation. The new year will see a large increase in the involvement of business users in classic IT tasks. This is especially true in the context of robotic process automation.

What we see emerging with even greater popularity in the coming year is the “Citizenship Development Model.” Essentially, the Citizen Development Model transforms employees who are not specifically trained in IT, into software developers. Does that mean that in the new 2022 work landscape all our employees are part of the IT Team? Or that the IT Team is replaced entirely by an individual employee-level DIY approach? Not at all. Instead, it means that enterprises will give employees access to low code technology approved by the IT Team and supported by enterprise technology. This will allow employees to develop simple solutions that make their daily tasks more efficient.

As a result of democratizing innovation in this way, employees do more than increase their efficiencies within their organization. They also develop new skills and improve their own employee experience. In light of the other 2022 trends to watch, regarding employee happiness and employer needs to reduce attrition levels, approaches like the Citizenship Development Model will see unprecedented popularity in the new year.

Rise of the Data-Driven Enterprise

Data is king. In the coming year, the data-driven enterprise will stand out from the competition for its analytics culture. Building on analytics advancements across industries, in the new year, the technology sector will continue to promote the advancement – and impact – of data-driven enterprises.

Globally, we produce 2.5 billion gigabytes of data per day. Yet, only 70% of the world’s most valuable enterprises are taking what is termed a “data-driven approach” to decision-making. That number is up from 30% in 2008. The most valuable enterprises are those like Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Berkshire, and Exxon.

This points to a few things from an IT trends perspective. First, as we produce exponentially more data globally, we have seen a 40% increase in major enterprises adopting a data-driven approach to decision-making in the last thirteen years. So, from a point of view of watching for growth trends in the IT industry, we are on track. Second, with 70% of major enterprises applying the data-driven approach, we see that there is ample room for increased adoption at the highest levels in the coming years.

Third, and most importantly, using data analytics to guide decision-making processes does not need to be, and, in fact, should not be limited to large international enterprises. Businesses of all sizes need to adopt a data-driven approach to decision-making in 2022. Look at data as a valuable, abundant resource. Then, build and use data analytics to make that data work harder for your business. Using this plentiful resource empowers you to make improvements faster and more confidently. And to pave the way for a more successful, resilient 2022.

Do Not Forget about Security

Each of these four top 2022 IT trends confirms that the second decade of the 21^st century is guided by digital transformation. And those innovations that once seemed possible only for the most powerful enterprises are now available down to the individual employee level. In a technology landscape like this, new modes of flexibility, efficiency, and creativity abound. This primes our industries for a resurgence, despite the challenges and changing dynamics of our contemporary world.

In an interconnected world like this, it also means that security should be top of mind for 2022. That, of course, goes beyond the concept of a trend. Security is a best practice to protect business vitality in the new year. We look forward to continuing that conversation in the coming months.

Author: Andrew Dvirnyk

As we close out 2020, we are rounding up four trends to watch across industries. We are looking at looming deadlines to migrate systems. And we are checking in on automation technologies that make it easier to co-create a SMART future. These 2021 trends all point to better ways of doing business. See what you can embrace to make 2021 a year of innovation and success.

SAP S/4HANA Migration

The clock is ticking on the timeline for SAP S/4HANA migration. By the end 2027, SAP will not support SAP Business Suite 7, including the flagship product SAP ERP 6.0 that so many businesses currently rely on.

One of the many lessons from the last year is that preparation and reliable systems help to protect our businesses and our livelihoods. With that in mind, in 2021, it is time to stop thinking about S/4HANA migration and start doing it. Using 2021 to get started on the SAP S/4HANA migration process gives you enough time to update system elements and modules. This lowers your risk and makes migration seamless and successful with time to spare before you lose access to support.

Recently, we shared tips on how to prepare for SAP S/4HANA migration, and when and how to plan SAP migration to best fit your needs, goals, and budgets.

Automation

As we enter 2021, we see automation touching all parts of the organization. From increasing efficiencies, to reducing costs, to creating new employment opportunities, automation is more than just a trend. It is a smarter, more sustainable way to do business.

One thing we are most excited about is how intelligent automation improves performance and enhances employee creativity. The ability, for instance, to automate data extraction and classification despite complexities creates countless opportunities for our clients and their employees.

As the world continues to embrace intelligent automation, it becomes even more clear how this technology empowers you to orchestrate users, tasks, systems, and robots that align with business needs. Our Intelligent Automation Systems are poised to deliver even more in 2021. They learn from data, identify patterns, and make smart decisions.

Intelligent Technology Tools

This brings us to our next 2021 trend: embracing intelligent technology tools. Intelligent technology tools like our Appulse product make it easier to create and maintain efficiencies across organizations. They improve issues resolution times and make it easier for employees to collaborate.

As a hallmark of intelligent technology, we like to say that “developers learn from Appulse, and Appulse learns from developers.”  Because of its AI module, Appulse suggests solutions based on historical data and new information. All this improves speed and accuracy, benchmarks that are important in the new year. From helping to keep essential systems running well, to improving turnaround time on resolutions, to saving money, Appulse is just one example of many intelligent technology tools that will improve how we work in 2021.

Partnerships Instead of Transactional Relationships

The landscape of work changed over the course of 2020 in many unexpected ways. And the changes and challenges of 2020 accelerated the cycle of change that was already coming to characterize how we do business in the new decade. Chief among these changes, and a trend we are excited to report, is the increasing reliance on partnerships, or relationships, rather than mere transactions.

For us, we have always considered ourselves supportive partners to our clients. In fact, building strong client partnerships is one of our key commitments. The trusted partnerships we build allow us to truly understand our clients’ needs, and to deliver more. Does this sometimes mean that we go beyond our own initial expectations of scope and time? Yes, it does. But we do so willingly and enthusiastically because we always put our client’s (and their customers’) needs at the forefront of our work.

When we build partnerships like this, we allow for more creativity, in addition to more efficiency and value. And beyond that, we get to live out the promise we make to everyone we work with, to co-create a smarter, more innovative, more rewarding future. The idea of co-creating with partners is a somewhat radical one, even as we enter 2021. Knowledge transfer, trust, and collaboration do not come easily to everyone. In fact, they require a strong commitment to shared success that matches the commitment to delivering expertise and value on all sides.

This is one of the trends we are most excited to see our colleagues and clients embrace in the new year and beyond. For more ideas on how to create lasting partnerships that generate value now, and in the future, reach out to us. Let’s talk about what we can create together!