From technological conflict to trust – companies must focus on people

So rises fromTechnology Vision Report of Accenture By 2020 * 83% of survey participants recognize that technology has become an integral part of the human experience.

The world’s largest technology consulting firm Accenture (NYSE: ACN) publishes the 20th edition of the Technology Vision Report for 2020. The report raises the question – can organizations meet the needs and expectations of their customers, in a world where technology and digitization are everywhere? According to the report, the organizations’ attempts are lacking and a new pattern of thinking and approach is needed.

With the outbreak of the corona plague around the world, companies and organizations were reluctant to accept the changes that the period brought with it in order to better serve their customers in these times. This is a time when consumers are embracing digital commerce and therefore companies around the world need to move on and strengthen their virtual assistance and remote workforce in order to better serve the consumers while addressing the health concerns of both the workers and the consumers arising from the situation.

In addition, it seems that the social-technological trends brought about by the plague will accompany us even when the world returns to normal. Innovation in the manner of adapting customer service to the customer in the current situation is essential and in the long run can better prepare the various companies. There is a shift of companies from offline to online and physical stores are becoming e-commerce stores. There is also an increased consumption of services digitally for example: mortgages, banking services, VOICE and more.

Various companies are rethinking their path and thinking deeply about the work model from home, such as Google and eBay, which have announced that the company’s employees can work from home until the end of the year. Alternatively, Apple has announced that it would prefer its employees to work from offices as much as possible.

The importance and need for business continuity caused many organizations that were not prepared in advance, or not prepared in advance for a crisis of this magnitude, to act quickly. Information security, we have seen a large amount of cyber attack attempts during the Corona period and unfortunately some of them succeeded while taking advantage of the “immediate need for a solution”, the “confusion” created in the IT systems and remote connection.

The report summarizes findings collected from more than 6,000 executives, 2,000 consumers and hundreds of technology influencers around the world and predicts the five major technology trends that will redefine business over the next three years. The main conclusion of the report: The focus must be on the people.

The report data shows that 83% of survey participants recognize that technology has become an integral part of the human experience. Moreover, 70% of respondents expect their relationship with technology to be more pronounced or more significant in the next three years.

Although in recent years there has been a trend of opposition and counter-reaction to the activities of technology companies, a phenomenon known as Tech-Lash (a combination of Backlash and Tech), according to the report, the phenomenon fails to recognize the extent of the company’s use of technology and its profit from technology. In fact, today there is a clash between business and technological models, which are inconsistent with the needs and expectations of the people. Moreover, if business entities continue with current models, they not only risk customer abandonment or employee layoffs, but may limit any potential for future innovation and growth.

The Technology Vision report identifies five trends that companies must address in the next three years, which will halt the technological conflict:

• The I in Experience – Organizations must design for their consumers customized experiences that will increase their personal making and choice. In this way, consumer involvement will increase and the sense of control and cooperation will increase. 85% of managers believe that organizations should strive to create a “partnership” with their customers.

• AI and Me Organizations must reconsider how to integrate artificial intelligence as part of business processes and use artificial intelligence as a lever for the work of company employees. According to the report, only 37% of organizations report the use of principles that support human-machine collaboration.

• The Dilemma of Smart Things – The current era, in which the product is forever in the “beta” phase, raises questions about who owns the product? All the more so when organizations introduce a new generation of products driven by a desire to produce digital experiences. According to the survey, 74% of managers expect their organization’s products and services to be updated multiple times over the next three years.

• Robots in the Wild – Robotics is no longer just associated with warehouses or factory floors. With the deployment of the G5 network, every organization needs to examine its future through the lens of robotics. Despite this, 45% of managers expect their employees to have difficulty understanding how to work with robots, while 55% believe that employees will soon understand how to adapt to the new way of working.

• Innovation DNA – Organizations today have access to an unprecedented amount of technology and in order to manage it and evolve rapidly, they must establish their own innovative and unique DNA. 76% of managers believe that innovation is a necessity of reality and success requires the adoption of innovative moves and partnerships with ecosystems and external organizations.

According to Paul DohertyAccenture, VP of Technology and Innovation: “Many organizations create digital products and services just because they can, without fully taking into account the human, organizational and social implications. We see a technological clash from the gap between consumer expectations, technological potential and business aspirations – and this is now an important turning point. It is necessary to change the line of thought, re-examine the basic business and technological models and create a new basis for competition and growth. ”

For 20 years, the world’s largest technology consulting firm Accenture has been exploring the corporate world and identifying technological trends with business and industrial potential. For more information on the 2020 report, visit On the survey website

Survey Editing Methodology

The Technology Vision 2020 survey included collecting impressions from members of the Technology Vision’s external advisory committee, which consists of about 20 experts from the private, public, academia, venture capital firms and entrepreneurial companies. In addition, the Technology Vision team conducted interviews with technology influencers and industry experts, as well as with nearly 100 Accenture business executives. At the same time, a global online survey was conducted by Accenture Research among 6,074 senior executives and directors (C Level) from 25 countries and 21 industries worldwide, most of which have annual revenues in excess of $ 5 billion. This year the study also included an Accenture consumer survey among 2,000 people in China, India, the UK and the United States.