DXC Technology reveals new insights from
global executives on the impact of tech debt and a
four-step plan to pay down today's debt and discourage it in the
future.
ASHBURN,
Va., Oct. 17, 2023 /CNW/ - A study of business
leaders by DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC), a leading Fortune 500 global
technology services company, has revealed that nearly half (46%) of
executives say that technical debt, or tech debt, is the silent
saboteur inhibiting their ability to innovate and grow.
Tech Debt is the implied cost of rework caused by choosing an
"inferior but quick" solution over the "right" technology
solution. In other words, while a past investment may have
worked in the moment, it could fail to hold up well over time. Tech
debt tends to be a series of trade-offs that lead to
suboptimization and becomes increasingly hard to undo. While
different from obsolescence or depreciation it can be measured in
billions for most large enterprises and have far reaching
implications costing a business its talent, lower productivity,
increase its security risk and ultimately be disruptive to an
organization's success and stock price.
In a global survey of 750 C-suite information and technology
executives commissioned by DXC Leading Edge, a team of experienced
practitioners who create progressive thought leadership focused on
business transformation. Embracing modernization: From technical
debt to growth research makes the case for reframing tech debt from
a problem that needs to be solved to something that needs to be
tackled as part of any organization's modernization efforts.
According to the report, there is an accountability crisis when
it comes to tech debt. Of the executives interviewed, 99%
recognized that tech debt was a risk to their organizations,
despite the fact that three in four still believe that IT
leadership should shoulder sole responsibility for fixing it.
Michael Corcoran, Global Lead,
Analytics & Engineering, said, "We're at a point in time where
technology innovation is rapidly accelerating. The way we build,
grow, and enable our teams and customers is changing and with that,
our approach to managing the process of modernization must as well.
Sometimes the spread of tech debt across the organization makes it
hard for leaders to step outside of their team view, and this where
a neutral third party can provide a holistic view that lets leaders
consider a new perspective. If business leaders don't commit to
addressing tech debt now, it will lead to loss of resources,
productivity, talent, and have huge security implications."
Lack of awareness amongst business leaders also has a
significant impact on their ability to manage technical debt.
Executives were clear that there are barriers to progress which
hinder modernization efforts in their organizations; 47% of
respondents scored knowledge barriers as very or extremely
significant, and 38% did so for cultural barriers.
DXC has found that organizations can experience 39% in cost
savings from technical debt reduction, while being able to retire
37% of redundant applications and has therefore identified a
four-step plan to pay down today's debt and discourage it in the
future:
1. Reframe org debt as modernization
Clearly articulating org debt is a way to ensure clarity of
vision on the modernization path. The mind shift toward future
focus is essential. This is an appropriate time for candid
executive conversations when taking stock of what you have.
2. Define opportunities
The first step in defining modernization opportunities is to
expand the circle beyond IT accountability. The CIO and CTO will
lead modernization, but the entire executive team is responsible
for its success. Coordination between the business side and
technical arm of the organization is crucial. CTOs and CIOs are
uniquely positioned to communicate org debt effectively to the
C-suite and wider business stakeholders, with the CFO's support.
Making the case clearly and convincingly to enable effective
collaboration is the next step for these leaders.
3. Clear your barriers
Every industry has a unique profile, as would every
organization. Therefore, clearing organizational barriers is a
matter of defining them in light of your inventory and Wardley
Maps. Use your industry profile as a baseline and modify it for
your organization's needs.
4. Organize for execution
Having shifted the conversation, defined the barriers and gained
alignment, an organization can then focus on the desired objectives
and impact of the activities. Modernization is an ongoing
collaborative process, involves not just the IT circle but the
entire organization. When done properly, the benefits are felt
across the whole organization. From cost savings to carbon
reduction, to making employees' work lives smoother, there's a
business case to be made across every arm of an organization. When
org debt is viewed clearly and articulated fully, it can be
flattened, understood and managed thoughtfully as part of the
balance sheet of a healthy business.
"Technical debt is an enduring topic across the intersection of
business and technology, it's long known about yet, often poorly
understood. As it continues to accumulate, organizations
around the world cite it as a top challenge, inhibiting their
ability to transform and serve their customers into the future,"
said Dave Reid, Research Director of
DXC Leading Edge. "Today we're releasing our landmark study to
help our customers and partners tackle this issue head on and begin
to reap the long-promised but hard-to-realize benefits of
modernization and transformation."
In addition to the four ways organisations can clear tech debt,
DXC has introduced The Tech Debt Audit business leaders can take
immediately to understand the level of tech debt in their
organisations and where their barriers to addressing tech debt
lie.
For more information, explore:
- DXC Technical Debt page: Reframing Technical Debt
- DXC Leading Edge research report; Embracing modernization: From
technical debt to growth
Research Methodology
In 2023, DXC Leading Edge conducted a survey of 750 global IT
executives, with a CI (confidence interval) of 95%. The survey
comprises a senior group of 50% CIO or CTO respondents; the other
half are VP level or above leaders. The survey is global in scope
with companies ranging in size from US$1bn to US$10bn
or more in revenue. Respondents are widely distributed across
industries – Banking and Capital Markets; Insurance; Aerospace and
Defense; Technology, Media and Telecommunications; Travel,
Transportation and Hospitality; Energy, Utilities, Oil and Gas;
Healthcare; Automotive; Consumer and Retail; and Public Sector.
About DXC Technology
DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC) helps global companies run their
mission-critical systems and operations while modernizing IT,
optimizing data architectures, and ensuring security and
scalability across public, private and hybrid clouds. The world's
largest companies and public sector organizations trust DXC to
deploy services to drive new levels of performance,
competitiveness, and customer experience across their IT estates.
Learn more about how we deliver excellence for our customers and
colleagues at DXC.com.
Forward Looking Statements
All statements in this press release that do not directly and
exclusively relate to historical facts constitute "forward-looking
statements." These statements represent current expectations and
beliefs, and no assurance can be given that the results described
in such statements will be achieved. Such statements are subject to
numerous assumptions, risks, uncertainties, and other factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those
described in such statements, many of which are outside of our
control. For a written description of these factors, see the
section titled "Risk Factors" in DXC's Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the fiscal year ended March 31,
2023, and any updating information in subsequent SEC
filings. No assurance can be given that any goal or plan set forth
in any forward-looking statement can or will be achieved, and
readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such
statements which speak only as of the date they are made. We do not
undertake any obligation to update or release any revisions to any
forward-looking statement or to report any events or circumstances
after the date of this report or to reflect the occurrence of
unanticipated events except as required by law.
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SOURCE DXC Technology Company