IDC's C-Suite Tech Agenda program advises technology suppliers on the new offerings, competencies, and go-to-market approaches needed to effectively reach the C-suite and other line-of-business buyers. By studying tech spending and buyer preferences across the C-suite, the program reports on the evolving dynamics across business leadership as it relates to technology objectives, priorities, programs, and investments. IDC's research shows that more than 50% of technology budgets sit outside of IT. And this continues to grow because a mixture of CXO roles ramp up their focus on technology. It is not just marketing and customer experience; the finance, HR, supply chain, and procurement departments are all ramping up tech investments. However, C-suite buyers approach tech adoption differently than IT organizations. They lead with use cases, are driven by line-of-business KPIs, and prioritize business outcomes over technology features. They demand modular apps, platform-based portfolios, rapid development models, and more open architectures. Technology vendors looking to tap into these new buying centers will need to prioritize where to focus and evolve sales conversations, marketing messaging, and the broader go-to-market strategy. But this is not about IT versus the business — digital transformation is a team sport: technology leadership (i.e., CIO, CTO, CDO, and heads of innovation) must be at the table. Successful vendors will need to orchestrate stakeholders, budgets, and architectures across the Digital Dream Team to deliver tangible business outcomes while helping every CXO become a tech CXO.
C-Suite Tech Agenda
Markets and Subjects Analyzed
- C-Suite Dynamics and Tech Purchasing Patterns:
- Technology Budget Priorities and Dynamics Across the C-Suite
- Technology Leadership Structures and Roles for the Future Enterprise
- Digital Transformation of the Functional Areas (Finance, HR, Marketing, Procurement, etc.)
Technology Architecture Preferences of the C-Suite:
- Modular Apps Versus Monolithic Applications
- Platform-Based Portfolios
- Digital Innovation Versus Industrial Software
- The New Digital Tech Value Chain
- How the CEO's Agenda for the Future Enterprise Drives the C-Suite
Core Research
- IDC Survey: Tech Priorities Across the C-Suite
- IDC Perspective: Dynamics of the New Tech Buying Centers in the C-Suite
- IDC PeerScape: Best Practices to Structure Technology Leadership in the Context of the C-Suite
- IDC Taxonomy: Understanding the Functional Use Case Journey to the Future Enterprise
- IDC Survey: CEO Survey Findings: How the CEO's Future Agenda Is Driving C-Suite Priorities
In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct research on specific topics or emerging market segments via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.
Key Questions Answered
- How do the technology investment priorities vary by each CXO profile?
- What are the most signficant use cases for each business function (HR, finance, marketing, etc.) for digital transformation initiatives?
- How do technology preferences vary across the C-suite and line-of-business buyers?
- How is the CEO's agenda for the future enterprise driving investment priorities in the C-suite?
- How are technology architectures evolving to support the changing C-suite's business needs?
Companies Covered
Aviva PLC, B. Braun Melsungen Aktiengesellschaft, BBVA Ventures, BT Group plc, Bain & Company, Inc., Boston Consulting Group Inc., Capgemini Services SAS, Celonis SE, DXC Technology Co., Deloitte LLP, Ericsson, Ernst & Young Global Limited, FedEx Corporation, General Electric Company, Google LLC, HCL Technologies Limited, Houno A/S, IBM, Lloyds Banking Group PLC, McKinsey & Company, Microsoft Corporation, NIKE, Inc., Nestle S.A., Oracle Corporation, Robert Bosch GmbH, SAP SE, SAS Institute Inc., Salesforce.com, Inc., ServiceNow, Inc., Siemens AG, Tata Consultancy Services Limited, Telefonica S.A., Tink, Under Armour, Inc., Unilever plc, United Parcel Service, Inc., Wipro Limited, Workday, Inc.