Global Technology Executive Survey - Key Findings

Technical debt remains a critical burden – On average, an organisation invests more than 30% of its IT budget and more than 20% of its IT human resources to manage and address technical debt. Further, nearly seven out of 10 organisations believe technical debt has a high level of impact on their ability to innovate. For the most part, companies that are pursuing modernisation to actively reduce technical debt are finding that innovation is a key methodology to get the most out of the process. Innovation brings with it new insights and ways to use collected data, as well as service customers better.
Goals do not equate to strategy – Most organisations indicate they have clearly defined innovation goals; however, nearly half of organisations report they have not fully created a strategy to define that innovation.
The priority is optimisation – The area in which organisations focus their innovation efforts more than any other is optimisation of current systems and processes. By comparison, there is less focus on resilience and growth.
Regulatory compliance and cybersecurity represent significant concerns – When it comes to innovation, IT leaders view regulatory and compliance requirements as the top challenge their organisations must address. Security is also top of mind: Four out of five organisations have a high level of concern about security risks related to the implementation of innovative new technologies. Regardless of organisation size, there remain significant questions and uncertainty when it comes to balancing innovation with protecting critical systems and data.
Access to talent, culture, budgeting and agile processes are the keys – They are the foundational elements to fuel innovation, alleviate technical debt and deal with competitive challenges.
Labs and think tanks are deployed often but not always – While a majority of organisations have created a dedicated lab or think tank that is focused on innovation, two out of five have not. Of note, as company size grows, so does the percentage of those leveraging these approaches.

Innovation is a clear goal for most – strategies and approaches are still works in progress

Innovation is critical in an ever-changing business environment. Organisations that fail to prioritise innovation are more likely to fail.

Strategies to organise for innovation and address roadblocks vary

Innovation cannot happen without building a business culture that fosters innovation and extending that culture takes people, skills and agility.

Technical debt remains a major burden (on an organisation)

As organisations strive to increase their focus, and time and resources, on innovation, technical debt becomes a significant concern and burden.

Innovation elevates security concerns

While many organisations are pursuing an innovation agenda, security risks are on the minds of many technology executives.

Attracting and retaining top talent drives technology adoption and innovation

Organisations are deploying a number of innovative and emerging technology tools, but there is significant disparity in the findings that seem to depend on the maturity and benefits of each technology.

A call to action for technology leaders

Read about steps companies should undertake or continue over the near term to ensure they can increase their agility and sustain their innovation and transformation journey successfully over the long term.

Survey methodology and demographics

Protiviti surveyed more than 1,000 CIOs, CTOs, CISOs and other technology executives worldwide to ascertain the status of several concepts around innovation and technical debt.