FEATURE : 2021 TECH PREDICTIONS demand and make better use of ecosystem partners . These digital tools are as far ranging as Artificial Intelligence , Augmented Reality and robotic process automation and are expected to shift early promises to impactful value propositions .”
Johnson said that as the incredible supply chain disruptions of 2020 unfolded , it became clear that managing real-time supply and demand matching and forecasting were no longer tasks humans can take on alone . “ It ’ s no longer reasonable to expect a supply chain leader to predict when one country ’ s market will suddenly close and another ’ s will open , or account for ever-shifting materials and costs – especially as government restrictions on transportation and travel change rapidly ,” he noted . “ In 2021 , we will see supply chain managers accelerating their adoption of AI to augment workers ’ instincts and experiences and provide them with intelligent insights into changing market conditions , letting them accurately forecast supply and demand in real-time .”
Already , organisations recognise the unlimited opportunities available to them through data they have already collected . Data re-use will be a big trend organisations will witness as the market shifts in 2021 , with many leveraging the power of Machine Learning .
According to Mollett , enterprises have a double motivation to ensure data compliance in 2021 . She said the first in the case of South Africa , is the Protection of Personal Information Act ( POPIA ) which will come
into force during the course of this year . “ The second is that increased reliance on Cloud Data Management requires robust solutions lest businesses fall foul of regulators , lose the trust of their customers and face heavy fines . 2021 will see increased investment in solutions that are able to secure and backup data as well as scan and remove personal data before it is redeployed back into production ,” she said . “ As we start a new year shrouded with uncertainty , we can be almost certain that investments in Digital Transformation generally and Cloud Data Management specifically , will continue to accelerate .”
Looking ahead , Mollett explained that it ’ s crucial that the next generation of employees , who are largely digital natives with more exposure to technology than previous generations , are encouraged and incentivised to take up careers in computer science , engineering and software programming to help bridge this gap .
“ CIOs need to drive skills development within their organisations that address their challenges , such as how to optimise installations and how to use data in more innovative ways for customer enhancement . A great enabler for developing technical skills is the growth of the cloud across the African continent ,” she said . “ This growth is raising awareness of the impact more skilled people can have on the technology opportunities that the cloud can help facilitate . Additionally , organisations must enhance their capabilities to ensure employees can draw on data insights and use new technologies as they are deployed .” p
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