Here at Advanced, we are busy preparing for the CBI Annual Conference in November – not least because we are launching the results from our highly anticipated Advanced Trends Survey 2017. What’s fascinating is that both the CBI event and our survey explore the hot topic that is globalisation – so why is this so important?
There’s no denying globalisation has created more jobs, improved access to skills, sparked regeneration and improved the quality of life and range of goods available in the UK. It’s been underpinned by a fast-growth digital sector that has generated significant economic value. In fact, international trade and investment for our country has been aided by information technology.
Yet, recently, we have seen unprecedented change that has rocked the boat for many businesses looking to embrace the opportunities that globalisation brings. Britain voted to leave the European Union – leaving organisations in the dark as to what impact Brexit will have on trading overseas – and Donald Trump was unexpectedly voted in as the President of the United States, the world’s most powerful country, with many of his policies proving unpopular around the globe.
What’s happening globally is impacting everyone on a local level and, rightly so, businesses are worried. This is why globalisation is a major theme at the CBI’s conference where leaders will discuss how to create a global Britain for the better, and how the government and business can work together to find the right solutions to tackling the challenges of globalisation.
Robert Smith, CEO of Vista Equity Partners, the successful private equity company that owns Advanced, is a keynote speaker at the conference. We’ll be interested to see how his thoughts on the era of globalisation fare with the opinions of UK organisations taking our survey. We will be asking respondents whether they see Brexit as a business opportunity for growth and prosperity or as a real threat to business survival. And we’ll ask how the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will affect them. Some, we anticipate, still won’t know.
What’s clear is that while much of the future is uncertain, the digital world is guaranteed. In fact, it will be technology that will help businesses survive and thrive in a stormy global economy. Our own business is built on technology that will positively impact people’s lives. We are giving care home workers more quality time to spend with their residents, helping the government improve the journeys for millions of road users, and enabling a leading charity to focus on delivering specialist care to patients with some of the most complex and challenging mental health needs.
Are you ready for change?
Given the monumental changes in the world, our latest research comes at a pertinent time. Much is likely to have changed since we announced the results of our inaugural Trends Survey from 2016, which found that British businesses are under intense pressure to adapt to the changes from digital disruption. One year on, how do they feel now – are leaders stepping up to the challenges, and are customer services adapting and transforming? Do more organisations hold a 'digital first vision’, for example, and are their employees better equipped to do their jobs effectively in the digital era? Are they full steam ahead on embracing technologies like the cloud or is the GDPR thwarting digital disruption?
Critically, we’ll be investigating how confident organisations are in building and maintaining a modern digital infrastructure – one that allows them to innovate, compete and anticipate change. At Advanced, we are dedicated to helping our customers reimagine their business in the digital revolution. We know that our customers want to be a part of it, yet are not always confident at going through it alone. We want to be there every step of the way, and we’ll continue to be there when the road gets bumpy. Whether British businesses see globalisation as an opportunity or a threat, or questioning how pertinent it is to their challenges, we want to help them see globalisation as relevant and a positive force – something we know Robert feels very passionate about.
We hope this inspires you to take part in our Advanced Trends Survey 2017. We will be donating £1 to our preferred charity, the Princes Trust, to provide a little added incentive!
