Findings From KPMG Report Show Shifting Attitude to Digital Transformation

Fast following competitors is no longer the top motivator for organizations looking to enhance their tech adoption. A KPMG report shows most organizations, 89%, now attribute third-party guidance as the top reason for tech adoption, while 83% organizations rely on in-house trials.
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According to the KPMG global tech report 2024, enterprises are embracing a more calculated, value-driven approach to digital transformation. But a key theme from this year’s research is the perception among tech executives that they are struggling to keep up with the pace of change – a challenge cited by 78% of respondents.
This concern was counterbalanced by 87% of respondents reporting higher profits thanks to their tech investments – a 25% increase since 2023.
“There is a pivotal shift in how organizations engage with technology – transitioning from a reactive stance to a more strategic, value-focused model,” said Akhilesh Tuteja, partner and national leader, clients and markets, KPMG in India.
Fifty-three percent of respondents are using evidence-based evaluations to strategically align their technology portfolios with long-term business goals. This shift is particularly critical in artificial intelligence adoption, where 31% of organizations have successfully scaled AI into production, according to the report. But there’s still a gap.
“Although the majority of organizations report productivity gains driven by AI, challenges such as risk aversion and inadequate governance remain significant barriers to transformation,” Tuteja said.
AI is reshaping the enterprise landscape, with 74% of organizations experiencing increased productivity among knowledge workers. But a parallel concern emerges: 78% worry that users perceive AI as a “black box,” highlighting a trust deficit that could stall AI adoption at scale.
The importance of data security also remains paramount, with 35% of organizations focusing on strengthening data protection in the next 12 months. Despite these efforts, 78% admit they fail to effectively leverage customer feedback, a critical gap that undermines digital transformation strategies.
Frequent data-centric evaluation was recorded as one of the top two best tactics for achieving quick wins from tech investments, with organizations in the top two data maturity categories more likely to be satisfied with the value generated across all their tech investments. But only 24% of organizations are actively focusing on nurturing a data-centric culture and ensuring data interoperability in the near term, which may present a substantial barrier to harnessing the full potential of data-driven insights.
“Every business needs to accelerate from end to end. The only way that is going to happen is through faster, data-driven decisions and by empowering every employee to figure out how they’re going to redesign the work they do,” said Polly Sumner, chief adoption officer at Salesforce.
Cybersecurity and Risk Aversion: The Biggest Hurdles
Eighty percent of executives say that risk aversion results in senior leadership responding to market forces slower than their competitors. Also, poor governance and coordination appear in the top three toughest challenges that derail transformation progress, with 59% claiming their centralized decision-making reduces their organization’s ability to respond to market signals and embrace new tech.
“Incident response exercises aren’t optional, they’re critical. Organizations must maintain a retainer with an incident response firm, rigorously test backups and conduct regular recovery drills to ensure resilience,” said Michael Wagner, CISO at Kenvue.
Many organizations face a disconnect between their cybersecurity intentions and the actual security habits of their workforce. Nearly 8 in 10 respondents – 78% – indicate that staff training is treated as a box-ticking exercise rather than being effectively embedded into daily operations.
Instead of relying solely on formal training sessions, organizations should prioritize controls and operational measures that seamlessly integrate cybersecurity into employees’ workflows. For example, automating DevSecOps processes and offering password manager platforms can encourage more secure behaviors without adding friction to daily tasks, the report adds.
Tech Priorities: The Next 12 Months
Five key areas are set to dominate tech investment strategies:
- Cloud and XaaS expansion: 86% of enterprises plan to invest in XaaS models, emphasizing cloud-driven agility and cost-efficiency.
- Cybersecurity resilience: 68% will enhance cybersecurity measures to mitigate emerging threats and regulatory challenges.
- AI and automation at scale: 65% aim to expand AI adoption beyond pilot phases to achieve enterprisewide impact.
- Data governance reinforcement: With 33% prioritizing data accessibility and 32% focusing on governance, organizations recognize data maturity as a long-term competitive advantage.
- Edge computing integration: 61% are investing in edge computing to enable real-time data processing and decentralized analytics.
Ultimately, enterprises that successfully balance speed, security and value will be the ones that shape the future of digital transformation.
“Start with automation and free up people to do what they do best, more quickly and in more interesting ways,” Sumner said.