New research from GetApp shows a large majority of Kiwi businesses who have embraced digital transformation during the
Covid-19 pandemic will continue to invest in digital transformation after a return to normal.
New Zealand-based businesses embrace a hybrid form of working, giving employees the flexibility to work remotely as they
need. New research conducted by GetApp shows that 64% of Kiwi SMEs state that all or most of their business is now virtual compared to only 2% who were
already entirely virtual pre-pandemic.
Many experts predicted significant growth in worldwide IT spending to help businesses counter the negative impacts on
businesses from Covid-19. However, the research conducted shows that while vaccines are close to being administered in
New Zealand within the coming months, many companies will continue to invest in digital solutions to be competitive
moving forward. This investment is likely due to the significant increase in website traffic reported by businesses,
with 74% of companies saying that half or more of this new traffic is from regions or countries where they had not
previously operated.
“While the pandemic has caused hardship and financial strain for many businesses it’s positive to see how many
businesses in New Zealand have turned to technology to empower their workers and open up new doors, said Sonia
Navarrete, Content Analyst at GetApp. “While the transformations won’t happen overnight, and there are still challenges
we face, it is incredibly positive to see Kiwi businesses, in particular, understand the importance of investing in
digital transformation for the future.”
The new GetApp research collected data in December 2020 from an online survey of 608 respondents that live in New
Zealand. Responses were only taken from individuals employed full-time as an owner, founder or other head of an
organisation, C-Suite executive, President or Vice-President, Director or Manager. Respondent also had to be working for
a company of up to 250 people during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Additional highlights from the research include:73% of Kiwi businesses find software implementation as a significant challenge in going digital.27% of companies state they have been “very successful” engaging with their customers digitally.The top challenges were upgrading and implementing new software (73%) and training employees to use it (72%).70% of businesses believe they need to keep up digital investments to compete.
The research findings suggest that business leaders are convinced by the productivity gains achieved through collaboration and online meeting tools. This will see further investment by companies wishing to stay ahead of their competitors even after the
pandemic’s financial impact has subsided. Even with this increase in digital transformation, there are still fundamental
challenges that businesses continue to face. To overcome these challenges, practical training and upskilling must take
place across New Zealand. Research shows, the top five areas where digital upskilling will be necessary will be in:Website and app developmentProject managementSocial media marketingCybersecurityBusiness intelligence/Data analytics
By investing in digital transformation and upskilling employees, many New Zealand businesses will hope to achieve goals
set in 2021 to help retain customers, cut costs and increase cash flow.About GetApp:
GetApp is the recommendation engine small businesses need to make the right software choice. GetApp enables SMEs to
achieve their mission by delivering the tailored, data-driven recommendations and insights needed to make informed
software purchasing decisions. For more information, visit www.getapp.co.nz.