itSMF Bulletin February 2021 | Page 12

Bev White, CEO, Harvey Nash Group said: “This unexpected and unplanned surge in technology investment has also been accompanied by massive changes in how organisations operate – with more organisational change in the last six months than we have seen in the last ten years. Success will largely be about how organisations deal with their culture and engage with their people. In a world where location has dissolved, where the office now includes the kitchen table, and where over 80 percent of IT leaders are concerned about the mental health of their teams, organisations will need to reformulate their employee offer to attract and retain the talent they need to support them through the pandemic, and beyond.

Bruce Goldsmith, Managing Director, Harvey Nash Australia said: “It may seem obvious that the threat to an organisation’s cyber security would increase with so many employees working remotely, but for 4 in 10 that threat has become very real. This is exacerbated by the fact that the same number of organisations are also suffering from a shortage of skills in cyber. Hopefully with the increase in investment in cyber and privacy these organisations can protect themselves going forward, particularly as many employees won’t be going back to the office full-time.”

Guy Holland, Partner-in-Charge, KPMG Digital Delta in Australia said: “Technology has never been more important to Australian organisations’ ability to survive and thrive in the new reality. IT has proven its role as a critical enabler throughout the pandemic as organisations have rapidly transitioned

to hybrid working. As the new reality continues to be shaped by economic recovery patterns unique to each sector and location, digital transformation will become a key driver of recovery and growth. One thing remains consistent; the urgency to act swiftly and decisively.”

COVID-19: The business issues the board wants IT to address:

Digital Transformation – For almost half (42 percent) of Australian IT leaders COVID-19 has permanently accelerated digital transformation and adoption of emerging technology (AI, ML, blockchain and automation).

Marketplace Software as a Service (SaaS) – This is the big winner compared to 2019. Large-scale implementations more than tripled from 7 percent in 2019 to 23 percent this year. One in six organisations put one in place in the last 12 months.

Remote working and the new deal for employees:

Remote working is here to stay – 85 percent of Australian IT leaders moved a significant part of their workforce to remote working, and 53 percent expect half or more of their employees to work from home in some capacity after the pandemic.

Collaboration and culture – As a result of remote working, 74 percent of Australian IT leaders report increased collaboration between the business and technology teams and over half (58 percent) said that it has created a culture of inclusivity in the technology team.