By 2025, 60% of infrastructure and operations (I&O) leaders will drive business innovation using disruptive technologies, Gartner reports, up from the current total of just 5%, driving the growth of the I&O function within enterprise.
“As businesses face increased pressure to lower operating costs, many I&O leaders have been siloed into a tactical role rather than a strategic one-- essentially, becoming custodians of legacy infrastructure,” the analyst says. “The result is stunted I&O maturity over the past decade. I&O leaders who harness the power of disruptive technologies, such as cloud and artificial intelligence (AI), will discover new opportunities to serve as business innovators.”
Gartner describes infrastructure-led disruption as the use of I&O technologies, processes, people, skills and capabilities to promote disruption and embrace risk. I&O leaders employing infrastructure-led disruption are looking for new ways to use technology to delivery business value, instead of remaining merely reactive to stakeholder needs.
Infrastructure currently remains in a period of protracted change, spurred by new technologies increasing the complexity of modern, distributed infrastructures. In order to remain relevant in the digital age, 45% of respondents in the Gartner 2019 I&O Executive Leaders Survey (involving 71 participants worldwide) point out improving maturity as one of the top three goals for I&O organisations. Technologies such as automation, edge and quantum computing can help I&O leaders mature infrastructure for the next digital wave.
Through 2022 traditional I&O skills will be insufficient for over half of the operational tasks I&O leaders are responsible fore. Further, while 66% of I&O leaders believe behaviours related to culture hinder ability, 47% are still to adapt such behaviours to align with cultural and organisational transformation. Leaders adopting a proactive approach require new skills, talent and culture to drive change in the early stages.
The analyst also says strategic alignment and purposeful alliances with the C-suite are critical for the future of I&O. As business becomes increasingly digital, I&O leaders need to employ technology expertise to collaborate with other leaders on breakthrough opportunities.
Go Gartner Says Infrastructure-Led Disruption Will Drive Business Innovation
