Digitalisation: why integration is a hot button issue

B2B - Brand Strategy
B2B Market Research

Our 2019 Marketing Insight research explores what operational decision makers really think of digitalisation

We learned that decision makers feel somewhat at sea when it comes to digitalisation terminology. Another topic that causes some anxiety is the question of how to implement digitally-connected products and services into an existing setup.

Insight #4 – Integrating legacy technology is key.

Decision makers know that digital progress isn’t straightforward. When asked what they saw as the biggest barrier to digitalisation, 47% said legacy integration.

This reflects the reality of facilities that have to connect different machines, from different OEMs, with different capabilities, and still work in a unified system. It also reflects the fact that global businesses are attempting to integrate disparate global facilities into a consistent operating model. This presents a tough challenge, especially when the market now demands ‘out of the box’ functionality.

Legacy integration is complicated and therefore costly. Today’s customers want simplicity, immediacy and reliability.

The new generation of workers also expect simple, intuitive integration, interfaces and solutions.

Key takeaway: Decision makers need to integrate disparate machines and capabilities.

  • To win trust, show that you take legacy integration seriously; don’t just push new products
  • Focus on the immediate need for user-friendly solutions and pain-free integration