Taking Action: thriving in a digital world Surviving in a digitally disrupted world is one thing - but what does it Technology at the core take for an organization not just to endure, but to thrive? While investing in technology might not be as seismic a reaction as the decision to change leadership or business strategy, its The opportunities to do so, according to our respondents, are importance to the overall response should not be underestimated. plentiful. Almost three quarters (72%) say that the digital disruption occurring in their sector is creating exciting opportunities for their Although investment in technology is the primary choice for organization. Digital may cause concern for some, but few reject the organizations seeking to capitalize on digital disruption, this only idea that it also creates compelling chances to get ahead. tells part of the story. Technology is important on the other side of the equation too, with close to half (40%) of business leaders Spotting an opportunity and capitalizing on it are, of course, two saying that aging technology and infrastructure is the biggest factor different things. It seems to be with that thought in mind that some hindering their ability to respond to digital disruption. 92% of business leaders say that their organization has already taken steps to try and ensure that it can thrive in this disruptive The significance of this response is heightened further when environment. contrasted with other issues that respondents cite as standing in their way. While a third (33%) stress that a fear of change or their Vitally, the response to digital disruption is increasingly unlikely to organization’s internal culture is problematic, less than a quarter be driven by silos within an organization. When Fujitsu surveyed a say the same about a shortfall of skills and talent (22%) or a lack of 1 understanding amongst leadership (18%). similar audience in 2015 , around a quarter of respondents said that just the IT department was driving their digital agenda. Today, nearly half of business leaders say that responsibility for that task falls with Culture, talent and leadership: all inextricably linked to the DNA of their combined leadership team. a modern organization, but all outweighed by technology as the governing factor in dictating whether that organization will thrive in an era of digital disruption. Digital disruption is now, without doubt, a board-level issue. Looking in more detail at how organizations are responding to Little wonder that almost three quarters (73%) of business leaders this challenge reveals that they are exploring a diverse range of say that technology lies at the heart of their organization’s ability to strategies in pursuit of digital success. thrive. Chief amongst these, and entirely logically, is investment into new technology, selected by almost two thirds of respondents (61%). While technology proved to be the most popular response though, other answers reveal more about the lengths that many organizations are going to in order to prepare for a digitally disruptive future. 73% say technology lies More than half of respondents (55%) say that their organization at the heart of an has changed its strategy in order to exploit the digital opportunity, organization’s for instance. And while more have invested in talent and skills and ability to thrive refined their processes, almost a quarter of organizations (22%) have embraced a change of leadership to better ready themselves. Digital disruption is not only driving a tactical response from business such as the purchasing of new technology or the acquisition of new talent; it is fundamentally shaping the way in which some organizations are choosing to structure themselves going forward. 1 600 European CEOs from around Europe were surveyed for Fujitsu’s Walking the Digital Tightrope report, published in January 2016 11