IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Future of Operations 2023 Predictions

IDC FutureScape Figure

• Figure: IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Future of Operations 2023 Top 10 Predictions

Executive Summary

IDC FutureScape Predictions

• Summary of External Drivers

• Predictions: Impact on Technology Buyers

• Prediction 1: By 2025, 50% of G2000 Industrial Organizations Will Make Real-Time Decisions Balancing Economic and Sustainability Metrics, Simultaneously Improving Both Sets of Metrics by 5% Across the Enterprise

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Business Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 2: By 2026, 40% of Product-Centric Organizations Will Use Digital Tools to Measure Life-Cycle Carbon Footprint, Creating Demand for Better Integration Between PLM and Operational Data

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Business Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 3: By 2023, Talent Shortages and Pressure to Improve Operational Performance Will Force Organizations to Reevaluate Their Approach to Digital Transformation, Resulting in Greater Use of Outside Services

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Business Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 4: By 2027, the Use of Extended Reality Technology, Including AR/VR/MR Tools, Will Increase by 40%, Creating a New Breed of Digital Worker and Reducing Operator/Field Worker Errors by 30%

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Business Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 5: By 2027, the Use of Robots in Nontraditional Sectors, Most Notably Remote Inspection and Maintenance, Will Increase by 35%, Resulting in a 50% Drop in Inspection Errors

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Business Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 6: By 2023, Digital-First Operations Enabled by 5G Connectivity Will Improve Worker Safety, Resulting in a 20% Reduction in Lost Time Accidents

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Business Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 7: By 2027, 50% of Remote Operations Will Use Satellite-Enabled AI/ML Technology to Collect and Analyze Data at the Edge, Reducing Costs and Improving Yields and Energy Usage in the Natural Resource Sectors

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Business Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 8: By 2024, the Cloud Will Surpass On-Premises Infrastructure as the Primary Location Where Operational Data Is Stored, Managed, and Analyzed for 50% of G2000 Organizations

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Business Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 9: By 2024, 30% of Industrial Organizations Will Have Become Leaner and More Agile than Their Competitors as a Result of Making Real-Time Operational Insights Available Anytime, Anywhere, to Anyone

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Business Impact

• Guidance

• Prediction 10: By 2025, 50% of Organizations Will Increase the Use of IoT and OT Cybersecurity Solutions at the Edge, Cutting OT Cybersecurity Breaches in Half

• Associated Drivers

• IT Impact

• Business Impact

• Guidance

Advice for Technology Buyers

External Drivers: Detail

• Cybersecurity and Risk — Scaling and Evolving Threat Environment

• Digital Business — Stepping Stone to the Future Enterprise

• Meaningful Intelligence — Differentiated Decision Power

• Ecosystem-Based Innovation — Driving Enterprise Value

• Embracing the Metaverse — New Levels of Immersion

• Mainstream ESG — Sustainability Is Measured and Mandatory

• Work Mode Upheaval — New Models and Leadership

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• Related Research