Global consultancy Forrester has released its 2022 predictions for the Asia Pacific region.
Forrester’s reports analyse the dynamics and trends in different disciplines and industries, including technology and innovation, customer experience (CX), employee experience (EX), and B2C and B2B marketing.
One region-specific pressure means just 40% of APAC firms will pivot to anywhere-work compared to 70% globally.
One of the reasons why fewer APAC firms will make the shift is due to the region’s large manufacturing and contact centre industries, which typically require a stronger physical presence in their facilities.
Another noticeable trend for firms in the region to consider is the eagerness of 65% of information workers to return to the office due to high-density, extended-family living. Working from home during the pandemic made them feel less productive.
“In 2022, after nearly two years of reactively responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, firms in Asia Pacific will finally be able to proactively address changing customer and employee expectations,” said Michael Barnes, vice president and research director at Forrester.
“Too few, however, will fully pivot from the current health crisis to the looming climate crisis. Business leaders must adapt to this new reality, laying the groundwork for bold decisions.
“Creativity, resilience, and agility — fueled by strong customer understanding and smart technology investments — will separate leaders and laggards, no matter the industry.”
Highlights from Forrester’s 2022 Asia Pacific Predictions:
Trust will become a key business imperative.
“The world is in a major crisis of trust, driven by concerns over public health, cybersecurity, data privacy, and sustainability.
“Asia Pacific’s financial services industry will be the first to act upon the trust imperative. Companies that ignore the trust imperative will lose 10% to 40% of their customers, starting with those unwilling to forgive firms for breaching their trust.”
The number of firms in Asia Pacific to appoint a dedicated sustainability lead will be less than half the global average.
“Values-based consumers have put the pressure on firms to elevate their sustainability efforts, but many such plans have remained performative.
“Only 30% of APAC purchase influencers say their firms are taking real action such as making their sustainability efforts more transparent and reducing their carbon footprint or e-waste.
“Also, just 26% of Fortune Global 200 firms in the region have appointed a sustainability lead at the senior level, as compared to 81% in EMEA and 92% in North America.”
At least 1 billion people will access world-leading digital government services.
“Governments in Asia Pacific lead the world in implementing the three pillars of a digital society: digital identity, digital currency, and data interoperability.
“Countries like Singapore, India, and Australia already have established digital identity solutions, and more than 20 million Chinese already use the digital yuan, with more trials in the works.”
30% of Asia Pacific firms with cloud-first strategies will shift to cloud-native.
“Cloud-native technologies will transcend all major technology domains, including big data, AI, and the internet of things.
“By embracing a cloud-native approach, these firms will accelerate enterprise modernisation and implement future fit technology strategies. But this shift will be slow compared to North America and EMEA.”
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