PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) released a new publication containing in-depth analysis of new technology trends that are reshaping the way companies are doing business as they face a rapidly-changing business landscape. Originally published between 1996 and 2003 in book-length, the newly re-launched Technology Forecast has been recast as a quarterly journal. The companion website, www.pwc.com/technologyforecast, contains additional insight and greater depth on specific topics.
The inaugural issue discusses three emerging themes in technology driven by one overpowering trend: The accelerating pace of change which is now forcing companies to deal with multiple, simultaneous, disruptive business issues. The three themes focus on IT complexity management; the emergence and use of Enterprise Web 2.0; and the convergence of business intelligence, business process management and business rules management into one software suite.
"Business leaders are recognizing that response to multiple simultaneous changes in the business environment is now the norm," said Paul Horowitz, principal and Advisory Technology Leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers. "It is our goal to provide insight and forward-looking perspectives that help organizations anticipate and manage that change. Together we accept the ongoing challenge to leverage technology to create more-competitive, more-innovative, and more customer-friendly enterprises."
The highlights of the three themes that will help companies make more efficient business decisions in a changing environment include:
Making Complexity Manageable
* More than 75 percent of about 1,400 global CEOs surveyed by
PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2006 said the level of complexity in
their organization is higher than it was three years earlier.
* As businesses and business processes have become complex, so has
IT. IT complexity occurs not only in the operations, but also in
the architectures, applications, and data solutions deployed in
the IT environment.
* Complexity is a double-edged sword: Complexity creates value by
bringing rich, new functionality and higher levels of automation
to business operations. However, it can cripple an organization by
causing management burden, lack of responsiveness, and
out-of-control costs.
Operational Web 2.0
* For enterprises, Web 2.0 is about more than just interaction; it's
about tools that can help devolve authority, empower the
workforce, and build bridges between organizational silos.
* In general, improved interconnectedness will mean that work that
used to get done in isolation can be done more effectively
together. The degree of effectiveness will depend on how well
enterprises can make the cultural changes necessary to result in
true interconnectedness -- something tools alone cannot
accomplish. With a high degree of interconnectedness, much more of
the power of the informal organization can be realized.
Bringing Order to Chaos
* Enterprises that create value through rapid process changes are
beginning to define a market opportunity for a pre-integrated
suite of tools that supports intelligent business performance
management.
* Vendors are developing and early adopters are implementing what
PricewaterhouseCoopers calls intelligent business performance
platforms. These platforms support and integrate applications, and
they monitor and manage business processes and outcomes.
* The three core components of the emerging platform include
business intelligence applications, business process management
applications and business rules management applications.
* Going forward, one of the biggest changes in business intelligence
will be the transition presently in progress toward active
business management based on the use of real-time data.
"The new imperative of managing continuous change is the business driver that, together with key technology trends, will fuel the next enterprise transformation. Initiatives that improve management of IT complexity, leverage Web 2.0 capabilities, and adopt more efficient business performance platforms will be the key technology drivers. They will enable agile enterprise management and spur the development of new business models, organizational designs, and competitive responses," added Horowitz.
About PricewaterhouseCoopers' Advisory Practice
PricewaterhouseCoopers' business advisory professionals provide clients with the confidence to succeed by helping them anticipate, create and manage change. Whether clients are proactively implementing change or reacting to an unplanned event, we leverage our Firm's resources, deep industry experience, and functional acumen across the areas of operations, finance, organizational strategy and structure, process improvement, human resources optimization, technology integration and implementation, risk mitigation and crisis management to help organizations effect sustainable change.
About PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers ( www.pwc.com) provides industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for its clients and their stakeholders. More than 146,000 people in 150 countries across our network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice.
"PricewaterhouseCoopers" refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP or, as the context requires, the PricewaterhouseCoopers global network or other member firms of the network, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity.
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SOURCE: PricewaterhouseCoopers
