Top 4 Technology Predictions for 2022
Technology at the workplace has been undergoing steady changes and some big shifts over the last couple of years. How can you prepare better and stay ahead of the trend? In this article, Jody Shapiro, Founder-CEO at Productiv, shares the top four technology predictions for 2022
At thousands of companies worldwide, talent shortages are threatening to slow down growth. As a result, enterprises are scrambling to attract and retain the best talent. Digital work experience has become a new frontline in the battle to retain talent. Companies that provide highly personalized and engaging tools can help workers avoid burnout. However, the explosion of Software-as-a-Service, or SaaS, has accelerated with the rise of remote and hybrid work, making it more difficult for chief information offers (CIOs) to provide the best digital tools.
This dramatic increase in SaaS use is an issue that my company identified in a new research report, which showed that the average enterprise company has more than 200 SaaS apps in use across the organization and that fewer than 45% of them are used regularly.
Below are my 2022 predictions on what IT and CIOs should look for and focus on to make sure their employees have the tools they need to do their jobs, no matter where they sit.
1. People at the Center of the Digital Work Experience
The rise of remote and hybrid work has made providing the best work experience for employees a lot more challenging. Yet, with the Great Resignation expected to escalate in 2022, companies have to be hyper-focused on attracting and keeping the best talent. The mindset has changed from “We have employees, and we must provide them with software at minimal cost” to “We have people who need the right software to be productive and unlock their full potential.” This shift in mindset will continue to lead enterprises to solve first for their people, then for the budget.
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2. Startups Are a Window into the World of Hybrid Work
The move to remote and hybrid work is permanent, and the future office is just as likely to be a bedroom as a boardroom. According to a survey of CIOs from Sapphire Ventures, 86% of respondents report that solutions provided by startups play a big role in supporting remote work. Highlights for the use of startup-provided solutions include collaboration, authentication, and cybersecurity, CIOs will continue to embrace the “new” as they look to offer the most flexible solutions to improve their employee experience.
3. CIOs as Business Partners
The unprecedented changes in the way we now work have shown just how critical it is for CIOs to have a seat at the executive table. The most powerful CIO presentations to the Board will no longer focus on fiscal efficiency but will show how to elevate the employee experience – in partnership with LoB leadership that make employees feel valued, well-supported, and fully enabled to do their job. Savvy tech executives are using data and insights to increase their value in this new digital-first working world.
See More: What Is Software as a Service (SaaS)? Definition, Examples, Types, and Trends
4. Optimized SaaS Applications
Companies of all sizes are grappling with the rapid growth of SaaS, which leads to SaaS sprawl – a bloating of underused, unused, and poorly used SaaS apps. Unmanaged SaaS apps constitute shadow IT – technology that the company owns and is using, but which is unknown to the IT department and unmanaged by them. Knowledge is power, so companies need a SaaS intelligence platform: software that helps them discover, manage and optimize the use of their existing and future SaaS applications. The right SaaS intelligence platform will help companies better understand and optimize their workflows, apps, and processes. SaaS intelligence also unlocks employee power, by making sure people have the tools they need to do their job, no matter where they sit.
SaaS apps are incredibly important across the enterprise as we move to remote and hybrid work environments as the “new normal.” Once looked on with suspicion by IT departments, Apps from startups now often play crucial roles in enabling critical capabilities such as authentication and security. But SaaS apps are too often unknown to IT and unmanaged, which leads to higher costs, poor employee experience, and risks in areas such as security and company reputation. In 2022, organizations need to be able to discover, manage and optimize SaaS apps from all sources – then use them as building blocks in creating employee experiences that attract, retain and empower everyone in the organization.
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CEO And Co-Founder, Productiv