Riverbed, the digital performance company, has found that nearly all (99%) of business decision makers (BDMs) in Singapore believe that optimising digital performance is essential to business performance, and 98% agree that digital, including the delivery of digital services and applications, is critical to the future of their business.
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| Source: Riverbed. Cover of the Riverbed Digital Performance Global Survey 2018. |
However, the Riverbed Digital Performance Global Survey 2018, also found that 92% of the decision makers say that major barriers – including budget constraints, legacy networks and lack of visibility – are holding them back from advancing digital strategies and delivering the performance and customer experience required in today’s digital world.
The global survey, which includes responses from 1,000 BDMs at companies with US$500 million or more in revenue across nine countries, also found that while Singapore BDMs recognise digital performance as a key business driver, 79% reported that critical digital services and applications are failing, impeding deadlines and diminishing productivity more than once a month. Additionally, one in three (32%) cited failures and slowdowns on a weekly basis.
The global survey, which includes responses from 1,000 BDMs at companies with US$500 million or more in revenue across nine countries, also found that while Singapore BDMs recognise digital performance as a key business driver, 79% reported that critical digital services and applications are failing, impeding deadlines and diminishing productivity more than once a month. Additionally, one in three (32%) cited failures and slowdowns on a weekly basis.
“This survey underscores the tremendous opportunity that maximising a digital strategy can have on the bottom line, while simultaneously highlighting the challenges companies face today,” said Bjorn Engelhardt, Senior VP, Asia Pacific and Japan at Riverbed Technology.
“The findings reinforce that forward-thinking companies are well-positioned to lead their industries in the race towards digital transformation by prioritising investments in modernising their networks and tools to measure and manage the digital experience for their customers and employees. Those who hesitate to embrace digital strategies and processes will quickly fall by the wayside, and those who drive digital performance will see significant business outcomes.”
The digital experience
Nine in 10 (89%) of Singapore business decision makers agree that providing a successful digital experience is even more critical to the company’s bottom line than it was just three years ago.
BDMs in Singapore surveyed unanimously agreed their company would benefit from improving the performance of their company’s digital services and applications. They see this happening primarily through:
- Improved customer experience and satisfaction (53%)
- Increased revenue/sales and profitability (50%)
- Stronger brand (46%)
BDMs in Singapore surveyed unanimously agreed their company would benefit from improving the performance of their company’s digital services and applications. They see this happening primarily through:
- Improved customer experience and satisfaction (53%)
- Increased revenue/sales and profitability (50%)
- Stronger brand (46%)
Obstacles to digital strategies
Of the 92% of BDMs who said they face significant challenges when it comes to achieving a more successful digital strategy, most cited multiple challenges, including:
- Budget constraints (49%)
- Overly complex or rigid legacy IT infrastructure (43%)
- Lack of full visibility across the digital or end-user experience (37%)
The eight in 10 (79%) reporting that critical digital services and applications are failing at least a few times per month and impacting productivity and the end user experience, nearly one in four experience failures at least several times a week.
Just over half (54%) of the survey respondents say the maximum acceptable time to resolve digital performance issues is within an hour, and nearly 20% said within minutes. Consequences listed include:
- Loss of sales and revenue (44%)
- Delayed product launches (43%)
- Loss of customers (33%)
- Loss of brand loyalty (39%)
- Loss of employee productivity (32%)
Infrastructure visibility and the digital experience
- Loss of sales and revenue (44%)
- Delayed product launches (43%)
- Loss of customers (33%)
- Loss of brand loyalty (39%)
- Loss of employee productivity (32%)
Other findings include:
Smart business leaders are looking to put greater emphasis on the management tools and infrastructure underlying digital services. In fact, 98% say that visibility across the digital experience is critical to measure and manage it successfully; and 98% of global business decision makers believe that a modern IT architecture that delivers greater agility is important to improving digital performance.
Acting soon
More than two thirds (68%) of Singapore BDMs believing it is critical that their company invests in improving the digital experience for users or customers in the next 12 months. The key areas business decision makers see themselves making investments include:
- Improving service desk capabilities (62%)
- Modernising networks and infrastructure to drive greater agility (57%)
- Accelerating development of applications (56%)
Technology wishlist
Nearly all (98%) of the Singapore BDMs believe the use of cloud technologies is important to their company’s ongoing digital strategy. To further advance digital services in support of their strategy, BDMs would also like their companies to invest in emerging technologies such as:
- Data analytics (55%)
- Internet of Things (IoT; 55%)
- Blockchain (51%)
- Artificial intelligence (AI; 38%)
- Virtual reality (VR; 30%)
Riverbed is focused on delivering solutions to maximise digital performance. Its Riverbed Digital Performance Platform brings together cloud networking and cloud edge solutions.
Explore:
Read the Riverbed Digital Performance Global Survey 2018 report.
*The Riverbed Digital Performance Global Survey 2018 is the result of a custom online survey by Wakefield Research of 1,000 business decision makers at companies with US$500 million or more in revenue. Research was completed in May 2018 across nine countries: US, Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Singapore and the UK. Among the 1,000 respondents, 200 were in the US, with 100 in each other country.
