SI07-001-G _Session2_ARTICLE

Study:
The impact of COVID-19 on the evolving role
of the Information System Department

Adobe Communications
04-26-2021
https://business.adobe.com/fr/blog

With the accumulation of uncertainties related to COVID-19, companies are forced to operate their
digital transformation in record time. In barely a year, we have gone from a world with digital tools to
a fully-fledged digital economy. As a result, Information System Department (ISD) are under new
pressures and often have to take on new responsibilities. To better understand the changing role of
the ISD, we conducted a survey of more than 500 of them in the United States (200) as well as in
EMEA (150) and Asia-Pacific (156). It shows that ISD are at the heart of nearly every major business
initiative in today's digital economy, with 75% of European ISD (compared to 90% in the US and 85%
in APAC) saying they feel compelled to operate the digital transformation of their company. While
vaccination is now on the right track, companies are even relying on their ISD to oversee return-to-
work arrangements so that employees can work in good conditions and in complete safety, wherever
they are. "Despite the weight on their shoulders, ISD are rising to the challenge," said Cynthia
Stoddard, CIO at Adobe. “Like other leaders, we have accepted our new responsibilities and the
growing influence we wield, and we are collaborating more closely with our colleagues to succeed in
this new digital reality of ours. »

Drivers of a digital economy

While digital transformation projects have been a regular topic in companies for years, COVID-19 has
accelerated their implementation, and ISD have quickly gained influence. IT leaders find themselves
at the heart of their business transformation, on all fronts. At least three-quarters of IS managers
report that their missions have expanded, that their responsibilities have increased and that they
have more influence on the decisions taken at the top in their company. “While digital customer
experiences have improved dramatically over the past year, they have also become more complex,”
admits Cynthia Stoddard. “ISD need to support these departments with the technologies teams need
to collect customer data, convert it into valuable insights, and use it to shape ever more personalized
experiences. » In other words, ISD have become the enablers of the customer experience in their

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business. Indeed, 98% of French ISD say they place as much emphasis on the customer experience as
they did before the COVID-19 pandemic, if not more, despite the new responsibilities incumbent on
them. Data and connectivity are the essence of a modern business, and as custodians of data-driven
decisions, ISD are driving many of the digital initiatives launched by brands today. Among the many
priorities ISD now must juggle, security and data privacy take center stage. According to the survey,
40% of French IS Manager believe that security and privacy are the areas most likely to attract more
investment in 2021. “Customers have never been so mindful of the value of sharing their data with
brands and are turning to companies they can trust to manage their data responsibly,” adds Cynthia
Stoddard. “In addition, with hybrid work models set to become the norm, ISD need to ensure that
their teams, wherever they are, are using the right technologies and processes to keep data secure
and compliant. »

[…]

Drivers of employee experience

If the customer experience is at the heart of ISD's concerns, the new "work anywhere" environment
has led them to review their priorities, for the benefit of employees first and customers second. In
partnership with the marketing director, the ISD learns to take advantage of external customer
journey management practices, the principles of which he applies internally to enrich the
experiences of his own employees. In fact, 82% of French IS managers see themselves as agents of
change playing a role in improving the culture of their company. They are rethinking the ways in
which new technologies are selected and used in companies, shaping collaboration between teams
and breaking down silos. “Given the proven correlation between happy employees, satisfied
customers and an overall thriving business, it is imperative that ISD prioritize systems or business
processes that improve collaboration and the broader employee experience,” concludes Cynthia
Stoddard.