5 Technology Trends in 2017

By: RSM Technology and Management Consulting Principal Bill Kracunas and Director Chris Wetmore

The move to digital, automation, virtual reality, big data and 5G are a few tech trends to look forward to in 2017.
1. The move to digital
The concept of digital will continue to be defined but ultimately comes down to four key capabilities: personalization, engagement, prediction and organizational agility. Digital strategies to implement enabling technologies to focus on an organization’s three major stakeholders (customers, suppliers and employees) will be paramount in 2017.

Of the three major stakeholders, expect the customer experience to be a core focus in 2017. Continued advances in customer personalization through customer relationship management systems, marketing automation, big data, mobile and the internet of things are critical for businesses of all sizes to provide context based on customer preferences, order history and employee interactions. Businesses are quickly adopting these tools to increase value offered to their customers, and lower the barrier of doing business as a market advantage. Customization options in product mix are becoming increasingly important as well, as a way for businesses to differentiate their offerings from the competition.

2. Automation, automation, automation

Process automation is an essential requirement to scale any business. With more and more companies having adopted core enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems like NetSuite and Microsoft Dynamics, they are taking full advantage of their information technology (IT) investments. To do this, they are maximizing the use of core, transactional systems as well as integrating with third-party solutions to improve process automation and increase full-time equivalent productivity.

New technology entrants to the market are automating back-office processes such as accounts payable, account reconciliation, financial close management, travel and expense, and procurement are the next evolution after an ERP implementation. These solutions allow companies to increase accuracy, work smarter and do more with less.

3. Middle market big data

Big data has been a buzzword in the IT world for some time now. Aggregated data from a number of different sources can provide visibility into patterns, trends and associations that are not obvious when looking at one set of data alone. This technology will continue to enable predictive analytics and technology for increased insight into customers, employees and financials.
The next generation of these software solutions are designed and licensed for smaller businesses, having perfected the approach with larger multinational enterprises. Web-based tools such as Microsoft PowerBI and HDinsight enable business leaders to visualize and add dimension to real data, providing the same benefits as offered to large enterprises.

4. Internet of things, virtual and augmented reality

More and more companies are using the internet of things to track behavior, with the most focus around business processes, customer behavior and productivity. Expect organizations to further integrate technology into products and services to provide strategic differentiation. In addition, the blending of physical and virtual worlds is becoming more ubiquitous and more useful. Over the course of 2016, we saw it focus on the consumer, so it won’t be long for organizations to adopt the technology as part of internal processes for design or training and ways to connect with the end consumer.

5. 5G internet further accelerates cloud and mobility demand

Wireless will make a giant leap this year with the introduction of next-generation internet delivery methods. Mobile carriers will start testing ultra-high-speed cellular technologies, while internet service providers that typically provide service over ground-based cables, as well as new providers, will start releasing wireless solutions. This improved connectivity and speed enables users to become even more mobile and more dependent on the cloud. Businesses that embrace this shift can expect higher employee retention rates, better productivity, greater access to talent and ultimately a more innovative culture. The always-connected user will demand more cloud services as they are faster and more reliable than the traditional infrastructure and built for the mobile world.

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