Ensono and the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) today released results from their latest digital transformation study, finding 50% of enterprise leaders believe digital transformation is changing their job roles and responsibilities.

The research found 56% of people feel their roles have changed significantly as a result of digital transformation, with 51% reporting an increase in their responsibilities and 47% stating they have greater pressure to deliver.

However, digital transformation does not appear to be evenly applied and while 45% of business decision-makers, compared to 24% of IT decision-makers, report they have more freedom to innovate.

‘Skills required for success are changing’

Simon Ratcliffe, principal consultant at Ensono, said: “The roles and skills required for success are changing in this era of perpetual digital transformation. We see a new IT department emerging – one that must take this opportunity to claim their seat at the boardroom table, or risk becoming obsolete.

“Today IT departments must extract themselves from a support role and balance their technical know-how with problem-solving, creativity and business situational fluency.”

‘Additional tech skills’

Nearly all respondents stated that their organisation didn’t have all of the skills that they needed to meet the demands posed by digital transformation, and 48% stated that they needed additional tech skills.

“To be successful in their roles and ensure their continued relevance, CIOs must act as ambassadors between the IT department and the business to smooth over these differing perspectives and ensure that all parties are fully aligned in their expectations and visions,” Ratcliffe continued.

200 UK IT and business decision-makers conducted the survey.

Written from press release by Leah Alger