- Leaders are divided on what this future means: 58% of Singapore business leaders think automated systems free up time, but around four in 10 disagree
- Singapore organisations are united in the need to transform and how, but not moving fast enough: only one in five believe they are leading the way, embedding digital in everything they do
We are entering the next era of human-machine partnerships with a divided vision of the future, according to global research* now available from Dell Technologies. Nearly six in 10 (58%) of Singapore business leaders forecast that automated systems will free up their time. Similarly, 58% believe that smart machines will work as admins that connect individuals to highly personalised goods and services, while 42% disagree. The findings reveal that a reliance on machines will lead to greater efficiency, unity and possibility than ever before.
Singapore business leaders (45%) predict this will impact their ability to compete over the next decade. However, they are less prepared compared to their global counterparts – citing a lack of digital vision and strategy as a top barrier. Singapore business leaders are not progressing quickly or deep enough and only 21% of those surveyed say digital is ingrained in all they do, compared to the global average of 27%.
The quantitative research conducted by Vanson Bourne follows Dell Technologies’ seminal story, Realizing 2030: The Next Era of Human-Machine Partnerships. That study forecasts that by 2030, emerging technologies will forge human partnerships with machines that are richer and more immersive than ever before, helping us surpass our limitations. Business leaders in the APJ region agree: 80% of respondents expect humans and machines will work as integrated teams within their organisation inside of five years.
But Singapore business leaders are also split by whether the future represents an opportunity or a threat, and torn by the need to mitigate these risks. In fact, business leaders are divided by what the shift into the next era will mean for them, their business and even the world at large. For instance:
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| Source: Dell Technologies infographic. More than half of respondents globally think schools should teach how to learn, and not what to learn. |
We are entering the next era of human-machine partnerships with a divided vision of the future, according to global research* now available from Dell Technologies. Nearly six in 10 (58%) of Singapore business leaders forecast that automated systems will free up their time. Similarly, 58% believe that smart machines will work as admins that connect individuals to highly personalised goods and services, while 42% disagree. The findings reveal that a reliance on machines will lead to greater efficiency, unity and possibility than ever before.
Singapore business leaders (45%) predict this will impact their ability to compete over the next decade. However, they are less prepared compared to their global counterparts – citing a lack of digital vision and strategy as a top barrier. Singapore business leaders are not progressing quickly or deep enough and only 21% of those surveyed say digital is ingrained in all they do, compared to the global average of 27%.
The quantitative research conducted by Vanson Bourne follows Dell Technologies’ seminal story, Realizing 2030: The Next Era of Human-Machine Partnerships. That study forecasts that by 2030, emerging technologies will forge human partnerships with machines that are richer and more immersive than ever before, helping us surpass our limitations. Business leaders in the APJ region agree: 80% of respondents expect humans and machines will work as integrated teams within their organisation inside of five years.
But Singapore business leaders are also split by whether the future represents an opportunity or a threat, and torn by the need to mitigate these risks. In fact, business leaders are divided by what the shift into the next era will mean for them, their business and even the world at large. For instance:
- More than half (52%) say the more we depend upon technology, the more we will have to lose in the event of a cyberattack; 48% disagree
- Nearly six in 10 (57%) of business leaders are calling for clear protocols in the event that autonomous machines fail; 43% abstained
- Nearly six in 10 (59%) say computers will need to decipher between good and bad commands; 41% disagree
For workstyles, the Singapore research data showed:
“You can understand why the business community is so polarised,” comments Jeremy Burton, CMO, Dell Technologies. “There tends to be two extreme perspectives about the future: the anxiety-driven issue of human obsolescence or the optimistic view that technology will solve our greatest social problems. These differing viewpoints could make it difficult for organisations to prepare for a future that’s in flux and would certainly hamper leaders’ efforts to push through necessary change.”
Eric Goh, MD and VP, Singapore Enterprise Business, Dell EMC commented: “We’re on the cusp of immense change, fuelled by emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), that are opening up new frontiers in Singapore and on a global level. While there are differing views in the way leaders forecast the future, Singapore remains ahead of the global curve with more respondents believing in the transformative impact of technology in overcoming the digital barriers ahead.”
The findings also revealed Singapore business leaders’ attitude to the future of skills. Seven in 10 (71%) believe that schools will need to teach students how to learn rather than what to learn to prepare them for jobs that do not exist yet, compared to the global average of 56%.
However, many businesses are not moving fast enough, and going deep enough, to overcome common barriers to operating as a successful digital business. Only 21% of Singapore businesses believe they are leading the way, embedding digital concepts in all they do. Almost half (45%) do not know whether they will be able to compete over the next decade, and 53% of businesses are struggling to keep up with the pace of change.
The main barriers to becoming a successful digital business in 2030 and beyond in Singapore include:
Specifically, Singapore research data for lifestyles shows that:
Forecast
|
Agree
|
Disagree
|
Automated systems will free up our time
|
58%
|
42%
|
People will take care of themselves better with healthcare tracking devices
|
50%
|
50%
|
People will absorb and manage information in completely different ways
|
62%
|
38%
|
Smart machines will work as admins in our lives – connecting our lives to highly personalised goods and services
|
58%
|
42%
|
It will be harder to disconnect from technology
|
48%
|
52%
|
For workstyles, the Singapore research data showed:
Forecast
|
Agree
|
Disagree
|
We will be more productive by collaborating more
|
55%
|
45%
|
We will have more job satisfaction by offloading the tasks that we do not want to do to intelligent machines
|
48%
|
52%
|
Schools will need to teach how to learn rather than what to learn to prepare students for jobs that don’t exist yet
|
71%
|
29%
|
We will learn on the job with augmented reality (AR)
|
55%
|
45%
|
Not sure what the next 10-15 years will look like for our industry, let alone our employees
|
57%
|
43%
|
Business operations were mostly split 60:40 for Singapore respondents:
Forecast
|
Agree
|
Disagree
|
Clear protocols will need to be established if autonomous machines fail
|
57%
|
43%
|
The more we depend upon technology, the more we will have to lose in the event of a cyberattack
|
52%
|
48%
|
Computers will need to be able to decipher between good and bad commands
|
59%
|
41%
|
We will be part of a globally connected, remote workforce
|
63%
|
37%
|
Technology will connect the right person to the right task, at the right time
|
50%
|
50%
|
Eric Goh, MD and VP, Singapore Enterprise Business, Dell EMC commented: “We’re on the cusp of immense change, fuelled by emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), that are opening up new frontiers in Singapore and on a global level. While there are differing views in the way leaders forecast the future, Singapore remains ahead of the global curve with more respondents believing in the transformative impact of technology in overcoming the digital barriers ahead.”
The findings also revealed Singapore business leaders’ attitude to the future of skills. Seven in 10 (71%) believe that schools will need to teach students how to learn rather than what to learn to prepare them for jobs that do not exist yet, compared to the global average of 56%.
However, many businesses are not moving fast enough, and going deep enough, to overcome common barriers to operating as a successful digital business. Only 21% of Singapore businesses believe they are leading the way, embedding digital concepts in all they do. Almost half (45%) do not know whether they will be able to compete over the next decade, and 53% of businesses are struggling to keep up with the pace of change.
The main barriers to becoming a successful digital business in 2030 and beyond in Singapore include:
- Lack of a digital vision and strategy: 72%
- Lack of workforce readiness: 66%
- Technology constraints: 48%
- Time and money constraints: 45%
- Law and regulations: 22%
Despite the wide range of views, the majority of businesses believe they will be well on their way to transforming within five years. Singapore business leaders say they are likely to achieve the following within five years in Singapore:
Despite the wide range of views, the majority of businesses believe they will be well on their way to transforming within five years. Singapore business leaders say they are likely to achieve the following within five years in Singapore:
- Have effective cybersecurity defences in place: 94%
- Deliver their product offering as a service: 93%
- Complete their transition to a software-defined business: 92%
- R&D will drive their organisation forward: 85%
- Delivering hyper-connected customer experiences with virtual reality (VR): 78%
- Using AI to pre-empt customer demands: 83%
Burton adds, “We’re entering an era of monumental change. Although business leaders harbour contrasting views of the future, they share common ground on the need to transform. Based on the many conversations I have with customers, I believe we’re reaching a pivotal moment in time. Businesses can either grasp the mantle, transform their IT, workforce and security and play a defining role in the future or be left behind.”
Explore:
Access the quantitative research report, executive summary and infographic
Read more about the Dell Technologies Realizing 2030 initiative
Burton adds, “We’re entering an era of monumental change. Although business leaders harbour contrasting views of the future, they share common ground on the need to transform. Based on the many conversations I have with customers, I believe we’re reaching a pivotal moment in time. Businesses can either grasp the mantle, transform their IT, workforce and security and play a defining role in the future or be left behind.”
Explore:
Access the quantitative research report, executive summary and infographic
Read more about the Dell Technologies Realizing 2030 initiative
Hashtags: #Realize2030, #digitaltransformation
*The research was commissioned by Dell Technologies and undertaken by Vanson Bourne, an independent research company, completed in June to August 2017 with 3,800 business leaders from midsized to large enterprises across 17 countries including ANZ, China, India, Japan and Singapore. The respondents were drawn from 12 industries and key functions impacting the customer experience (from business owners to decision-makers in IT, marketing, customer service, R&D and finance, etc.). The research explores the changing relationship between technology and people, emerging technologies’ impact on business and the way we work and how business leaders and CIOs plan to succeed over the next 10 to 15 years.
*The research was commissioned by Dell Technologies and undertaken by Vanson Bourne, an independent research company, completed in June to August 2017 with 3,800 business leaders from midsized to large enterprises across 17 countries including ANZ, China, India, Japan and Singapore. The respondents were drawn from 12 industries and key functions impacting the customer experience (from business owners to decision-makers in IT, marketing, customer service, R&D and finance, etc.). The research explores the changing relationship between technology and people, emerging technologies’ impact on business and the way we work and how business leaders and CIOs plan to succeed over the next 10 to 15 years.
