Winners during the global lockdowns in 2020 have been those able to adapt, in some cases literally overnight, to a massive change to their business model. This change encompassed distribution, home working, on-line trading and global purchasing. Losers continue to be small and large organisations that have failed to adapt to changes in markets, public services, social changes and economics. They all faced the same business and technology challenge – a need to make data available to internal and external stakeholders, enabling them to change business models and to reengineer operations.

IT and business users play a strategic role here as they can accelerate delivery and consume trusted data, however digital transformation comes with a wide array of technology challenges from capped IT budgets to lack of resources with the right skillsets – and it is as much about people as technology. Add needing real-time data to make immediate business decisions, to information sharing with suppliers and customers to new ideas and innovation that challenge and change ideas and concepts.