IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Future of Operations 2023 Predictions
This IDC study provides organizations across a wide range of industries with the top 10 predictions and underlying drivers that we expect to impact operations in 2023 and beyond. Technology leaders and their counterparts in operations can use this document to guide their strategic planning efforts.According to Leif Eriksen, research vice president, Future of Operations at IDC, "Data-driven operations is a journey, but this should not be interpreted as a reason to be complacent. The pace of change in operations is beginning to accelerate and will result in significant realignments across a range of industries. Organizations that recognize the opportunity will thrive; those that fail to see it will not survive."
Please Note: Extended description available upon request.
- IDC FutureScape Figure
- Executive Summary
- IDC FutureScape Predictions
- Summary of External Drivers
- Predictions: Impact on Technology Buyers
- Prediction 1: By 2025, 50% of G2000 Industrial Organizations Will Make Real-Time Decisions Balancing Economic and Sustainability Metrics, Simultaneously Improving Both Sets of Metrics by 5% Across the Enterprise
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Business Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 2: By 2026, 40% of Product-Centric Organizations Will Use Digital Tools to Measure Life-Cycle Carbon Footprint, Creating Demand for Better Integration Between PLM and Operational Data
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Business Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 3: By 2023, Talent Shortages and Pressure to Improve Operational Performance Will Force Organizations to Reevaluate Their Approach to Digital Transformation, Resulting in Greater Use of Outside Services
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Business Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 4: By 2027, the Use of Extended Reality Technology, Including AR/VR/MR Tools, Will Increase by 40%, Creating a New Breed of Digital Worker and Reducing Operator/Field Worker Errors by 30%
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Business Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 5: By 2026, the Use of Robots in Nontraditional Sectors, Most Notably Remote Inspection and Maintenance, Will Increase by 35%, Resulting in a 50% Drop in Inspection Errors
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Business Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 6: By 2023, Digital-First Operations Enabled by 5G Connectivity Will Improve Worker Safety, Resulting in a 20% Reduction in Lost Time Accidents
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Business Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 7: By 2027, 50% of Remote Operations Will Use Satellite-Enabled AI/ML Technology to Collect and Analyze Data at the Edge, Reducing Costs and Improving Yields and Energy Usage in the Natural Resource Sectors
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Business Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 8: By 2024, the Cloud Will Surpass On-Premises Infrastructure as the Primary Location Where Operational Data Is Stored, Managed, and Analyzed for 50% of G2000 Organizations
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Business Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 9: By 2024, 30% of Industrial Organizations Will Have Become Leaner and More Agile than Their Competitors as a Result of Making Real-Time Operational Insights Available Anytime, Anywhere, to Anyone
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Business Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 10: By 2025, 50% of Organizations Will Increase the Use of IoT and OT Cybersecurity Solutions at the Edge, Cutting OT Cybersecurity Breaches in Half
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Business Impact
- Guidance
- Advice for Technology Buyers
- External Drivers: Detail
- Cybersecurity and Risk — Scaling and Evolving Threat Environment
- Digital Business — Stepping Stone to the Future Enterprise
- Meaningful Intelligence — Differentiated Decision Power
- Ecosystem-Based Innovation — Driving Enterprise Value
- Embracing the Metaverse — New Levels of Immersion
- Mainstream ESG — Sustainability Is Measured and Mandatory
- Work Mode Upheaval — New Models and Leadership
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- Related Research