INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Software for Business
Survey suggests UK businesses are not using software developers strategically
Twilio , a leading cloud communications platform , has announced the results of a survey uncovering businesses ’ perception of software developers and the importance of technology in UK companies ’ survival during the pandemic . The findings reveal that nearly all UK businesses consider developers to be important for Digital Transformation ( 95 %) and in defining an appropriate response to the pandemic ( 91 %) – for example by enabling virtual communication with customers – but the majority are not yet unlocking the full power of developers .
Organisations have turned to technology , especially software , to tackle new challenges arising from the pandemic and to aid future business recovery . The research , which surveyed CTOs , CIOs and other senior IT decision-makers , found that nearly all ( 96 %) believe the role of technology was important in responding to the challenges of the pandemic , with 68 % saying it was ‘ very important ’. In line with this , their perceived value of developers for the overall success of the business is starting to be realised . Prior to the pandemic , 31 % said that developers were ‘ vital ’ to the performance of the organisation , which has jumped to 41 % since the pandemic began .
While the results demonstrate the growing importance of developers to survive the pandemic , many organisations are still underusing developer teams by distancing them from customers and what they are trying to address until later in the process . The research revealed that less than half ( 47 %) of organisations engage developers at the start of a project , with the majority only bringing them in later down the line , for example when briefing them to build the solution versus help to shape it to meet business needs .
“ The organisations that solve customer problems with software are winning in the pandemic , as they continue to actively engage with their customers , even without face-to-face interactions ,” said Marcos Placona , Head of Developer Relations EMEA at Twilio .
“ Developers are a creative workforce who can solve major business challenges and create invaluable customer products , if they are given the opportunity – they do not simply write code . Organisations that bring them in from the onset to understand objectives can unleash their power and therefore the power of the code they write .”
Key findings from the research include :
• Businesses are realising the value of developers
• Developer involvement in strategy remains unchanged despite their importance in the pandemic response
• Financial services organisations have embraced developers most
• Developers need to be aligned to business problems p
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