Nimbus Ninety reveals top digital trends

Nimbus Ninety, the independent community for disruptive business and technology leaders, has released the 2021 edition of its annual Digital Trends Report, providing insight to help organisations navigate their course for 2021 and beyond.

The report brings together responses from 305 business leaders, from a wide range of roles, organisations and industries, to analyse the major challenges facing organisations in 2021 and the key imperatives for digital strategy moving forward.

The report highlights how the dramatic landscape of innovation and business agility has become a significant trend, with 72% of respondents agreeing that they’ve become more innovative in the last 12 months than in the last 5 years.

Environmental sustainability has extensively been on the radar of businesses previously, however Nimbus Ninety reports that it will feature little in the next 18 months, and yet will drive agendas later in 18-24 months’ time.

The influx of remote working has demanded rapid change, with this continuing to be a headliner for digital change in 2021. Nimbus Ninety reports that “adapting to changing working environments” will remain a challenge for 2021, with 35% of workers hoping for greater separation between work and home life.

Emma Taylor, Founder and Managing Director of Nimbus Ninety, commented, “Digital strategy must support business strategy more than ever this year. We’re seeing the clear role that digital has to play in an organisation’s ability to lead market change, incorporating technological advancements, and humanising the customer experience.”

Following a tumultuous 2020 for many businesses, Nimbus Ninety has reported that organisations are mainly focusing on digital and external collaboration. Despite the unanticipated challenges of the past year, businesses and organisations remain largely optimistic about the plethora of opportunities that lie ahead.

Taylor continued, “Many organisations are cautiously optimistic about what 2021 may bring and the opportunities ahead. As international institutions call on board-level executives to widen their lens beyond their P&L sheets, prioritising environmental and social sustainability is fast becoming a requirement for consumers. The challenge for business leaders will be integrating green agendas with COVID-19 recovery plans for an environmentally conscious consumer base.”

Contrasting to previous years, Nimbus Ninety’s Digital Trends Report 2021 focuses more heavily on recovery strategies from the impacts of COVID-19. With 64% of business leaders seeing opportunities lying ahead rather than threats, 2021 consists thus far of an incongruous mix of hope and precariousness. The report additionally highlights the significance of openness to collaboration, and the importance of humanising customer interaction and experience.