This year, our organization’s digital transformation initiatives were put to the test as we stressed tested our digital systems, culture, and customer engagement models. While many tech leaders are rightfully proud of what was accomplished during the first weeks of the pandemic, shortcomings were exposed. Most analytical models couldn't keep up with the rapidly changing context of business. Widespread work from home requirements exposed security vulnerabilities. And, too much labor was thrown at problems where business processes were not fully digitized.

Upon reflection, 42% of tech leaders report they will invest in technology to close the gap in their digital transformation. As we look beyond COVID-19 remediation work, tech leaders need to guide their businesses in getting their digital roadmaps back on track. Determining the long-lasting effects of the COVID 19 pandemic is key to this work.

Which business changes are here to stay? And what role will technology play?

Join Joseph Pucciarelli, IDC GVP and IT Executive Advisor, as he outlines the next technology initiatives leading CIOs and their organizations are focused on:

• Creating digital parity among your global workforce
• How social awareness is the new differentiator
• The role technology will play in automating operations, labor, and IT
• How to best prepare your organization for the rising digital economy

Digital transformation (DX) has emerged as one of the primary approaches for connecting IT goals and business goals. But it is often lacks a clear and dedicated focus. Fortunately, customer experience has risen to the top of enterprise priority lists, making it an ideal choice for giving DX a direction. This session provides concrete advice on how to use primary, top-level business goals to inform IT strategy and development.

Strategies for managing integration, cloud-based solutions, and cost optimization

Flexible business and working models must be supported by flexible architectures. Applications must be integrated and straightforward to upgrade and or replace; they must be scalable; and related tool and plugin development must be fluid and easy to test. This session provides an overview on how to approach application management while keeping costs firmly in check.

With rapid pivots a likely part of the new normal, data analysis will be critical for knowing in which direction to pivot. Moreover, AI and predictive analytics can be used to automate core IT and back-office functions, increasing efficiency and freeing resources for faster reaction times. This discussion will focus on harvesting insight from data – both to automate and for making better business decisions as situations change.