Nine out of 10 executives from the largest U.S. companies agree on one thing: They need stronger business intelligence capabilities if they are to grow successfully in an uncertain economic and political environment. So says a recent survey conducted on behalf of Accenture by Wirthlin Worldwide. Results drawn from interviews with 150 senior executives at Fortune 1000 companies reveal that, while they agree on the need for stronger intelligence tools to provide better analysis of and insight into their operations, their assessments of the top challenges to growth vary.
Uncertainty and change dominate the list of impediments to growth with more than half (54%) of respondents selecting either “uncertainty in the financial markets and in the economy overall” or “political and regulatory uncertainty in key countries/markets” as the biggest growth impediment for their organization. Other key impediments were changes in the customer base (17%), changes in the skills/capabilities of the talent pool (16%), and constant technological innovation and introduction of disruptive technologies (13%).
Despite these differences in their view of the challenges to growth, more than nine out of 10 respondents (91%) selected stronger analytical and business intelligence capabilities as an area that would help them be better prepared to address their biggest challenge. This was followed by an organizational culture that better accommodates change (84%) and a more robust information technology infrastructure (74%).
For more information about the study, visit http://www.accenture.com.