Redefine your legacy
Legacy technology is holding back your organisation's ability to work effectively. It’s time to change that.
“Using technology to its full extent doesn’t always need to be big, sweeping changes. There are little steps we can take to foster interest in tech. Once we do that, people will always go looking to learn more.” Paula Eavis, Director of Human Resources, Bunzl UK
Technology is meant to empower employees, create better customer experiences and redefine workplace processes to save time and money. But despite all this, it is still only a tool.
And what happens when that tool is no longer fulfilling its role properly? If tech isn’t creating positive outcomes, it’s not much use to you and your team.
72% of our respondents believe legacy (old or outdated) technology is impacting their ability to operate efficiently.
In fact, our findings suggest those organisations with more employees tend to feel the impact of legacy tech on efficiency more acutely.
21% of those at organisations with more than 500 employees say it significantly impacted their ability to operate efficiently vs. 13% of those with 50-99 employees.
of respondents say legacy tech impacts their ability to operate efficiently
Almost every UK decision maker we surveyed believed they could improve their efficiency in some way by upgrading or replacing legacy tech.
Interestingly the focus of this improvement was on the ‘bread and butter’ of digital transformation – collaboration and communication, improved automation of organisational processes, enhanced data management and insights, cybersecurity – anything that supports the day-to-day work of employees and protects income.
“We need to use the tools we already have to try and reduce the burden on staff and make their lives easier. That’s where technology lends itself to enabling efficiencies, in improving working life for our people.” Graham Walsh, Medical Director, Yorkshire and Humber Academic Health Science Network
As organisations strive to balance the challenges of 2023 with their ambitions, decision makers are looking for new ways to improve efficiency.In times where cost efficiencies are less of a concern, this might be through investment in new equipment. But in 2023 not every organisation is able to invest in new technology. This may even be holding back the citizen experience in the public sector, as many decision makers are looking inwards to focus instead on time efficiency.
The public sector is notably more likely than the private sector to be significantly hindered by legacy technology (21% vs. 15%).
In what ways, if any, do you believe your organisation could improve efficiency by upgrading or replacing your current legacy technology?
The cost of doing business means some organisations are looking to scale back investment. Yet our research predominantly found organisations were focused on cost-efficiency rather than cost-reduction.
Of those organisations which indicated areas where they may look to postpone investment due to cost concerns, the findings supported the above mentioned focus on the ‘bread and butter’, with a shift away from artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
Which of the following, if any, would you be most likely to postpone investment in due to cost concerns?
Despite tech being a means to an end, decision makers are reconsidering what this ‘end’ is in the face of 2023’s balancing act.
Where previously tech and connectivity investment would primarily be used to improve customer and citizen satisfaction or employee satisfaction/ retention, our research found long-term cost saving was the number one priority when evaluating tech and connectivity investment today.
That’s not to say investment in cutting-edge new technologies like AI and AR are going away. The key word in the question posed to respondents is postpone rather than withdraw entirely.
Instead, ‘safer’ investments made today to protect and improve efficiencies will help to unlock opportunities tomorrow, where organisations can look to invest in other forms of transformational technology.
“The ROI now is about more tangible business results like the acquisition of customers, using tech to enable that the accuracy or raising the business profile in a market sector. You know, if you're number three in a sector, does technology give you the leverage to become number two?” Paula Eavis, Director of Human Resources, Bunzl UK
When evaluating tech and connectivity investment today, which of the following priorities are the most important, if any?
65% of respondents say they’re expected to demonstrate return on investment quicker than six months ago. When it comes to investment for the year ahead, decision makers who are looking to spend are focused on those safer technologies, with document management tools, data analytics and connectivity applications all coming out high on the results.
Data analytics tools came out noticeably high for organisations with more than 500 employees at 36%, suggesting decision makers are looking to have greater oversight of their organisation (perhaps due to sheer size and numerous moving parts).
In 2022 and 2023, which of the following, if any, did or will you invest in to support the creation of business and operation efficiencies?
