After two years, it only took a global pandemic, turbulence, and uncertainty, for firms in Asia-Pacific to proactively address changing customer and employee expectations.
Forrester predicts that in 2022 business leaders in Asia-Pacific will embrace controlled, positive change — implementing future-fit technology strategies to improve business agility and new ways of regionally aligned hybrid ways of work.
But this will not be enough. Leading APAC organisations will lay the foundations for building customer trust and tackling climate change.
Customer
After two years of living with uncertainty, consumers are wary, guarded in their spending, and used to constantly resetting their expectations and adapting their behaviours.
In 2022, consumers will continue testing new ways to meet their needs while keeping an eye on long-tail pandemic disruption.
Forrester predicts consumers will strengthen their loyalty to two or three brands. Read more about Forrester’s 2022 predictions on Consumer, Customer Experience (CX), and Customer Insights.
Employee: The future of work
The future of work has weighed heavily on executives’ minds for the past two years as the pandemic upended how and where employees work.
But the pandemic is only one of four shocks that will reshape the future of work in the 2020s: Systemic risk, robots and automation, the downpour of as-yet-unmanaged employee data, and rising employee power will all contribute to a need for organizations to continuously reinvent work.
Forrester predicts that 33% of companies will fail at anywhere work, and it won’t be the virus’ fault.
Chief Information Officer
In 2022, tech executives’ prospects will improve as strong global growth boosts tech spending by more than 6%.
However, the challenges they face — including the pandemic, inflation, supply chain disruption, and ESG risks — will continue to grow, while increasingly volatile and demanding customers will place pressure on firms to accelerate their more advanced, human-centred transformations.
Chief Trust Officer
Whether it’s expanding into adjacent markets, bringing anticipatory experiences to customers, maximizing employee productivity with data, or rolling out a disruptive business model powered with blockchain-based identity, no digital initiative has a chance of success without the trust of customers, employees, and partners.
Executives that have embraced the trust imperative know that trust doesn’t happen accidentally, and they aren’t going to miss out on the opportunity to create the strong bonds that will lead to durable value.
Forrester predicts that 15 firms in the Global 500 will appoint a new chief trust officer (CTrO).
Emerging Technology
2021 saw AI technology advancements in computer vision, edge AI, responsible AI, software coding, and many other technologies.
As companies continue to create a new future for their workforce, their customers, and the experiences and products they build, AI will be the beating heart of that future.
In 2022, Forrester predicts that companies will invest more in AI that is more responsible, immersive, creative, and embedded.
