Latest news with #digitalagility
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Retail CIOs Urged to Shift from Cost-Cutting to Innovation with Tech-First Plans: New Insights Published By Info-Tech Research Group
As the retail sector faces a period of unprecedented uncertainty from global supply chain disruptions, shifting consumer behavior, and labor challenges, many organizations continue to rely on outdated strategies that fail to address these risks. Newly published research insights from Info-Tech Research Group urge retail IT leaders to move beyond conventional operational practices and embrace digital agility for long-term resilience. The global IT research and advisory firm's recent blueprint, Adapt to Uncertainty With a Technology-First Action Plan for Retail, equips retail CIOs with guidance and tools to assess emerging risks, prioritize technology investments, and build a resilient, technology-driven operational framework. TORONTO, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Unpredictable economic conditions, fragile supply chains, and rapidly evolving customer expectations and behaviors are creating unprecedented challenges for the retail sector. Recent findings from Info-Tech Research Group highlight that, in this complex environment, technology decisions have become critical to both organizational survival and growth. To help retail leaders navigate these pressures, the global IT research and advisory firm has recently published its Adapt to Uncertainty With a Technology-First Action Plan for Retail blueprint. This strategic resource equips IT leaders in the industry with the tools and guidance to leverage emerging technologies, stabilize operations, and foster resilience in an era of constant disruption. Info-Tech's research insights reveal that many retailers remain reliant on outdated strategies that fail to address today's multifaceted risks. Overextended budgets, fragmented systems, and slow decision-making hinder their ability to respond to sudden shifts in market conditions. The firm's insights also show that, while emerging technologies present significant opportunities, they can be difficult to implement without a structured approach and guidance. "CIOs are the strategic bridge between business needs and technology delivery to ensure that innovation serves both operational efficiency and customer impact," says Donnafay MacDonald, research director at Info-Tech Research Group. "When economic shifts or policy changes begin to disrupt sales, CIOs are often the first to detect the ripple effects, whether through slowing transaction volumes, changing customer behavior, or supply chain strain. Their end-to-end visibility enables early intervention." Technology-First Steps for Retail IT Leaders to Address Market Challenges Grounded in its latest retail sector research, Info-Tech advises in its Adapt to Uncertainty With a Technology-First Action Plan for Retail blueprint a technology-first methodology that provides CIOs with a clear and actionable roadmap for transforming market disruption into strategic advantage. The structured four-phase approach guides IT leaders through the following steps: Assess Uncertainties and Opportunities: Retail CIOs and their leadership teams can begin by scanning the environment for macro-level vulnerabilities such as policy shifts, labor shortages, and supply chain risks. They then evaluate how these uncertainties can affect their organization and identify technology-enabled opportunities with the greatest potential impact. Review Budget, Staffing, and Contracts: IT finance and operations leaders conduct a comprehensive review of current spending, staffing, and vendor contracts across the organization. This phase identifies opportunities to cut costs and reallocate funds toward innovation and strategic technology investments. Build the Technology-First Action Plan: CIOs work with cross-functional stakeholders to assess and prioritize the initiatives that will drive technology transformation. They consolidate these into a focused 12-month roadmap that aligns with strategic objectives and organizational readiness. Get Ready to Execute: IT leaders finalize initiative descriptions, define success metrics, and build a flexible communications plan. This ensures clear accountability, executive alignment, and adaptability during execution, which enables organizations to act swiftly as conditions change. Info-Tech's insights highlight that retail organizations navigating constant disruptions require more than point solutions or temporary fixes; they need a cohesive strategy that links technology investments to measurable outcomes. In the resource, the firm encourages IT leaders to act decisively, balancing cost discipline with innovation. As MacDonald notes, "in times of uncertainty, the best path forward isn't just to cut costs; it's to starve waste and feed a revolution. That's how retail IT can shift from defense to growth and turn volatility into a competitive edge." By applying the insights and the actionable methodology outlined in Info-Tech's blueprint, retail organizations can build operational agility, optimize technology spending, improve customer responsiveness, and make more informed decisions. For exclusive and timely commentary from Donnafay MacDonald, an expert in retail tech and access to the complete Adapt to Uncertainty With a Technology-First Action Plan for Retail blueprint, please contact pr@ About Info-Tech Research Group Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading research and advisory firms, serving over 30,000 IT and HR professionals. The company produces unbiased, highly relevant research and provides advisory services to help leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For nearly 30 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations. To learn more about Info-Tech's divisions, visit McLean & Company for HR research and advisory services and SoftwareReviews for software buying insights. Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software, and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact pr@ For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit and connect via LinkedIn and X. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group
Associated Press
a day ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Retail CIOs Urged to Shift from Cost-Cutting to Innovation with Tech-First Plans: New Insights Published By Info-Tech Research Group
As the retail sector faces a period of unprecedented uncertainty from global supply chain disruptions, shifting consumer behavior, and labor challenges, many organizations continue to rely on outdated strategies that fail to address these risks. Newly published research insights from Info-Tech Research Group urge retail IT leaders to move beyond conventional operational practices and embrace digital agility for long-term resilience. The global IT research and advisory firm's recent blueprint, Adapt to Uncertainty With a Technology-First Action Plan for Retail, equips retail CIOs with guidance and tools to assess emerging risks, prioritize technology investments, and build a resilient, technology-driven operational framework. TORONTO, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Unpredictable economic conditions, fragile supply chains, and rapidly evolving customer expectations and behaviors are creating unprecedented challenges for the retail sector. Recent findings from Info-Tech Research Group highlight that, in this complex environment, technology decisions have become critical to both organizational survival and growth. To help retail leaders navigate these pressures, the global IT research and advisory firm has recently published its Adapt to Uncertainty With a Technology-First Action Plan for Retail blueprint. This strategic resource equips IT leaders in the industry with the tools and guidance to leverage emerging technologies, stabilize operations, and foster resilience in an era of constant disruption. Info-Tech's research insights reveal that many retailers remain reliant on outdated strategies that fail to address today's multifaceted risks. Overextended budgets, fragmented systems, and slow decision-making hinder their ability to respond to sudden shifts in market conditions. The firm's insights also show that, while emerging technologies present significant opportunities, they can be difficult to implement without a structured approach and guidance. 'CIOs are the strategic bridge between business needs and technology delivery to ensure that innovation serves both operational efficiency and customer impact,' says Donnafay MacDonald, research director at Info-Tech Research Group. 'When economic shifts or policy changes begin to disrupt sales, CIOs are often the first to detect the ripple effects, whether through slowing transaction volumes, changing customer behavior, or supply chain strain. Their end-to-end visibility enables early intervention.' Technology-First Steps for Retail IT Leaders to Address Market Challenges Grounded in its latest retail sector research, Info-Tech advises in its Adapt to Uncertainty With a Technology-First Action Plan for Retail blueprint a technology-first methodology that provides CIOs with a clear and actionable roadmap for transforming market disruption into strategic advantage. The structured four-phase approach guides IT leaders through the following steps: Info-Tech's insights highlight that retail organizations navigating constant disruptions require more than point solutions or temporary fixes; they need a cohesive strategy that links technology investments to measurable outcomes. In the resource, the firm encourages IT leaders to act decisively, balancing cost discipline with innovation. As MacDonald notes, 'in times of uncertainty, the best path forward isn't just to cut costs; it's to starve waste and feed a revolution. That's how retail IT can shift from defense to growth and turn volatility into a competitive edge.' By applying the insights and the actionable methodology outlined in Info-Tech's blueprint, retail organizations can build operational agility, optimize technology spending, improve customer responsiveness, and make more informed decisions. For exclusive and timely commentary from Donnafay MacDonald, an expert in retail tech and access to the complete Adapt to Uncertainty With a Technology-First Action Plan for Retail blueprint, please contact [email protected]. About Info-Tech Research Group Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading research and advisory firms, serving over 30,000 IT and HR professionals. The company produces unbiased, highly relevant research and provides advisory services to help leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For nearly 30 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations. To learn more about Info-Tech's divisions, visit McLean & Company for HR research and advisory services and SoftwareReviews for software buying insights. Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software, and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected]. For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit and connect via LinkedIn and X. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group
Forbes
18-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why Organizational Agility Is Key For Digital Transformation Success
Tom Niehaus is Executive Vice President, North America, at CTG. It's clear the days of tidy, one-and-done digital transformation (DX) projects are over. The pace of change in technology and business isn't slowing down, and companies must stay ready to adapt, whether that means updating tools, adjusting workflows or rethinking how teams operate. This kind of built-in flexibility is what will separate companies that thrive from those that fall behind in a post-DX world where short-term transformation has given way to long-term digital agility as the key to unlocking sustainable competitive advantage. Even with major investments in new technologies, many organizations struggle to keep up and are unable to unlock the full potential of their digital tools. What felt innovative a year ago is now just the starting line. The challenge is no longer about buying the newest solution; it's about building a nimble digital structure and culture that can evolve. Why Technology Alone Isn't Enough A well-known McKinsey study found that 70% of digital transformation efforts do not achieve their goals. One of the biggest reasons? Organizations often focus too much on the tech itself and not enough on change management, specifically whether their people and processes are ready to adapt. Digital transformation initially involved adopting new systems quickly. Now, the focus has shifted toward digital agility, aiming to build capacity and capability for ongoing change. That's a big mindset shift and one that requires more than just a good IT roadmap. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that a new tool will solve everything. But repeatedly, we've seen that without the right foundation—clear strategy, team alignment and real change management—even the best technology will underdeliver. Digital change is hard. People worry about what's coming next, how it will affect their work and whether they're prepared. Without clear communication and support, these concerns can manifest in slowed or even stalled progress. A Practical Path To Sustainable Digital Agility Sustainable digital agility and the competitive advantage it enables require more than just adding more tools, although they are certainly a part of the equation. Rather, it's about making sure every part of the organization is aligned, prepared and able to keep evolving. Companies that commit to a smart, structured approach to change—including leadership, a focus on empowering people and adopting a continuous change mindset—are the ones that maximize the value of their tech investments to create real business impact. Here are three ways to build this kind of agility: When leaders talk about how tech drives business outcomes—not just system upgrades—it shifts the focus to what really matters: results. A major utility company we work with, for example, was upgrading its control systems, but instead of framing the project as a technical fix, leaders explained how it would help the company respond faster, operate more efficiently and improve customer service. This simple shift aligned teams and built stronger support across departments. To do this well: • Build business cases that show value beyond just technical benefits. • Establish cross-functional teams to ensure alignment throughout the project. • Track progress based on business-focused outcomes, not just system milestones. People won't adopt what they don't understand or find useful. Organizations that bring users into the process and make room for feedback tend to see smoother rollouts, higher utilization and better results. A utilities company we work with rolled out security-scanning tools at several plants, but instead of setting them and forgetting them, leaders invited plant operators to share feedback. This end-user feedback loop helped them fine-tune the system to improve daily workflows and avoid business disruptions. There are key steps that can help: • Use design thinking to understand what users need. • Create feedback loops so improvements happen during the rollout, not after. • Adapt the solution to fit distinct roles, teams and workflows. Big, sudden changes often overwhelm people and organizations. A gradual rollout lets teams adjust, build confidence and share lessons learned along the way that can be used to refine deployments to align with organizational tolerance for change. A healthcare system moving to a new electronic health record, for example, chose not to adopt a 'big bang' approach to implementation. Instead, it rolled out modules and capabilities step-by-step, offering focused training, adapting the system based on feedback and applying lessons from one rollout phase to the next. The result? A smoother transition, better adoption across the board and less impact on the patient population. Best practices to consider: • Start with modular rollouts so people can adjust gradually. • Apply change management practices customized for each group or department. • Provide 'at-the-elbow' support during initial implementation, followed by continuous training that evolves and aligns to new user needs as the project progresses. From Nice-To-Have To Must-Have Modern technologies will continue to shape how businesses compete. However, unless companies can leverage those tools to create meaningful value for their teams, customers and operations, they'll miss the mark. I can't overstate this enough: Competing and winning in business will increasingly demand a strategic shift toward digital agility. Only then will companies stop chasing every new tech trend and instead build nimble and resilient organizations that can learn, adapt and thrive in a world of constant change. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
