Diversity and collaboration can help deliver innovation in digital world, says expert

IT contracts specialist Clare Murray of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said organisations are under pressure to drive growth and to compete in the digital world. 

A new study by UK business lobby group the CBI highlights some of the challenges companies face in adopting new technologies, from cloud solutions to big data analytics, she said.

According to the CBI study, carried out in partnership with computing giant IBM, the UK is ranked 14th in the world for "company-level adoption of digital technology". It said many UK businesses are "struggling to digitise their businesses at the rate of peers in other countries".

A lack of skills and an unclear return on investment were cited by UK companies as the main barriers to digital adoption, along with connectivity issues and security concerns, it said. The survey gathered the views of 206 CBI member businesses from a wide range of sectors, the body said.

"In my experience, talent and skills shortage is always cited in the top challenges to success as a digital enterprise," Murray said. "More agile disrupters are challenging existing business, service and operational models. Organisations can spend millions on technology but the majority of this spend does not typically translate to innovation for customers. Spend is diverted to managing and maintaining legacy systems."

"This new business dynamic is forcing business change as businesses look for more agile ways of delivering innovation. There is an imperative to collaborate to innovate, across the supply-chain, internally across business silos, across-industries and sectors. There is also growing recognition of the importance of diversity: new perspectives, challenges to established practices, new creative dynamics and effective team working," she said.

Employment law expert Helen Corden of Pinsent Masons recently said that new gender pay gap reporting regulations would be likely to spur technology companies to encourage more women into the industry.

Pinsent Masons is hosting an event tonight on diversity in tech, with speakers from Google and Accenture. 

Alongside the results of its study, the CBI recommended that businesses appoint a chief digital or technology officer to "drive digital strategy and execution". Companies should also look to "increase the age and skills diversity of boards and board advisers", and in particular tap into the expertise of "digital natives", it said.

"Giving digital a human face by appointing a chief technology officer will help businesses build the long-term digital strategies that will be critical to their futures," said Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI director-general. "And by harnessing the expertise of the generation at the heart of the digital revolution, firms will be better able to make the right investments for their digital future."