The race to the podium for digital transformation is fast and furious, hurtling businesses through these challenging times in a competition for fast-track success. With more than half of IT professionals in a recent Computing survey indicating a significant budget increase is either planned or has been recently implemented, the pressure is on to modernise and keep up with competitors while maintaining business continuity.

A recent Computing survey of IT priorities shows organisations have had to urgently prioritise and accelerate programmes that focus directly on increasing revenues, improving customer experience and operations, or optimising the current cost base. Maintaining business continuity and output while attempting to digitally transform requires a toolkit that allows a company to continue running while adapting.

Computing's research shows that, over the past twelve months, 47 per cent of organisations surveyed increased their prioritisation of automation, AI and machine learning; 39 per cent indicated no change and just 14 per cent deprioritised. With findings pointing towards the acceleration of digital transformation, the roles advanced predictive analytics and automation have to play are crucial.

Adding intelligence to transformation

Rapid industry changes and unforeseen crises - such as the current pandemic - mean traditional processes have to evolve swiftly, while digital maturity has been thrown into sharp focus as enterprises rush to adapt. Unsurprisingly, many organisations choose to pursue modernisation strategies that provide enough flexibility to facilitate ongoing transformation, while remaining sustainable in the long-term. Enabling that progress by seamlessly bridging existing processes and emerging technologies to empower businesses to run and transform simultaneously, without the danger of falling behind, is what smart digital transformation (DX) is all about.

As a form of business evolution that meets the need for speed, security and innovation - as opposed to the riskier rip-and-replace methodology - the ability to run, transform and adapt the business sets smart DX software apart. Integrating these processes has the potential to enhance productivity in both the short and long term, with smoother onboarding of the workforce and business continuity. All without the total removal of core business systems, developed over the long-term, which still perform.

How to run and transform your business at the same time.

Predictive analytics and machine learning (ML) are crucial fields when it comes to getting ahead of your competitors and creating opportunities for shifting priorities. Through combining a wider variety of techniques in data mining, ML, statistics and AI, businesses can use predictive analytics to forecast future outcomes based on previous data. There are also benefits that reduce risk by improving cyber security in real time, optimising marketing reach or enhancing operational efficiency.

The key to fast-tracked success is understanding how the latest in automation strategies can integrate into your existing workflows and make the most of what ML has to offer: the transformation of vast amounts of complex data into accurate, actionable and automated insights. However, understanding how to best integrate automation raises challenges. This is where collaborating with customer-centred enterprise specialists that align with your continuity, business and ethos goals, can make all the difference.

Smart DX and enterprise software specialist Micro Focus' high-tech, low drama approach, a method which sets the organisation apart from traditional analytics and automation, cites speed, agility, security, and insights as the winning combination. Utilising a four-piece victory toolkit comprising enterprise DevOps; hybrid IT management; security, risk and governance; and predictive analytics as the four core pillars of success, Micro Focus helps organisations to move faster, have greater agility, secure what matters most, and leverage insights to drive value.

Driving success at Jaguar Racing Formula E

The newly announced collaboration between Jaguar Racing and Micro Focus demonstrates how partnership alignment is mutually beneficial. Joining as the team's official digital transformation, business resiliency and analytics partner, Micro Focus will provide support to Jaguar Racing's push for more points, podiums and wins on the racetrack as the lights go green on season seven of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Services from Micro Focus' product group Vertica will ensure Jaguar's team are pushing their limits, receiving high-performance advanced analytics and machine learning combined with a cyber resilience assessment and acceleration of software development to perform at top speed.

Many organisations are aware they're competing against both trusted incumbents and innovative start-ups for market share. Their top priority needs to be constant DX, because by standing still you'll quickly be left behind. Yet lasting success cannot be snatched from quick-fixes led purely by urgency alone. 77 per cent of respondents in a recent Computing survey indicated they have had to implement some quick-fix solutions to respond to challenges in the last year, though the data also showed most companies were likely balancing this need by increasing budgets and looking for permanent solutions.

Implementation must be driven by strategic need in support of clear business goals, with a strategy designed for a business that cannot afford to stand still. Aligning partnerships, running and transforming at the same time and bridging existing technology with new and improved processes doesn't have to mean slamming the breaks on, as a rip-and-replace methodology might indicate.