The Connected Business Survey: Improving Integration and Creating Connectivity in 2018

1 of 45
The Connected Business: a global survey report on
business connectivity and the importance of integration
2017 research
Findings based on research conducted by Vanson Bourne in
partnership with Dell Boomi

2 of 45
Introduction
2017 research - the Connected Business: a survey report on business connectivity and the importance of integration
The study, conducted for Dell Boomi by the research firm Vanson Bourne, is based on a global
survey of 900 IT decision-makers that outlines the state of integration today, the effect of poor
integration, and the benefits realized when integration fully connects a business. Highlights of
the survey results include:
• 86 percent of respondents believe that becoming more connected as a business will have a
positive impact on revenue growth in the next 12 months
• Average cost savings since deploying an integration solution exceed $2.7 million
• For 74 percent of CIOs surveyed in the US, successful integration will be crucial to remaining
competitive over the next five years
• 64 percent in the US have missed business opportunities as a result of poor integration
• 59 percent characterize integration as the “Achilles heel” for their organization

3 of 45
Demographics
Figure D1: “Within which sector is your organization?”
asked to all respondents (900)
Figure D2: Analysis of respondent country, asked to all
respondents (900)
Figure D3: “Which of the following best matches your
role within your organization?” asked to all
respondents (900)
181
179
165
147
136
92
Organization sector
Financial services
Manufacturing
Healthcare and life sciences
Retail
Energy and utilities
Higher education
281
203
174
158
70 14
Respondent job role
IT manager
IT director
CIO
IT C-level (CTO, CDO, CISO)
VP IT
Other IT role
400
200
100
50
50
50
50
US
UK
Australia and New Zealand
Germany
Nordics
Singapore
South East Asia
Respondent country

4 of 45
Six areas of interest
Challenges of integration
• Areas to improve
• Challenges and drawbacks
• Missed opportunities
Integration solutions
• What solutions?
• How many?
• What can they do?
iPaaS
• iPaaS adoption
• Is it having a positive impact?
Other ways to improve connectivity
• APIs and MDMs
• Pre-integrated apps vs. Best in Breed
• Mobile integration
The Connected Business
• Benefits of improved integration
• What is a crucial outcome when
integrating?
Looking ahead
• The fight to remain competitive
• Business connectivity and revenue
• Emerging tech trends

5 of 45
Challenges of
integration

6 of 45
Areas to improve
Nearly all (99%) respondents would like to see their
organization improve at least one facet of their data
integration/management
Figure 1: “Which of the following would you like to see your organization improve?” asked to all respondents (900)
59%
53%
51%
48%
48%
42%
37%
36%
35%
1%
Data integrity (accuracy, consistency,
completeness)
Faster implementation of new applications
integration
Accelerate shift to cloud applications and services
Analytics and insights
Automate business processes
Faster implementation of best of breed
applications
Automation of customer/partner interactions
Integration between front and back-end systems
Integration with business partners
My organization does not need to improve in
these areas

7 of 45
Deploying new applications - country
All respondents come from organizations that are deploying cloud-based applications for business
purposes, and for half (50%) this deployment is constant
Figure 2: “How frequently does your organization deploy new cloud-based applications for business purposes?” asked to all respondents, split by respondent country (900)
50%
62% 60%
48%
44%
41% 38%
12%
22% 22% 21% 21%
28%
24%
32%
10%
24%
14%
19%
26% 26%
31%
28%
48%
4% 2% 1% 5% 2% 5% 2%
30%
Total Singapore US Australia and New
Zealand
Nordics UK Germany South East Asia
All of the time, we are constantly working on deploying multiple new applications
We deploy new applications on a yearly basis
We deploy new applications on an ad-hoc basis, as and when they are needed
We deploy new applications infrequently, at intermittent intervals

8 of 45
Deploying new applications - sector
For some industries, a constant deployment of new cloud-based applications is more common, but for those
from higher education or retail organizations an ad-hoc approach is much more prevalent
Figure 2a: “How frequently does your organization deploy new cloud-based applications for business purposes?” asked to all respondents, split by organization sector (900)
50%
56% 56%
53%
49%
38% 37%
22%
19% 18% 20%
30%
17%
28%
24%
21% 20%
24%
16%
40%
33%
4% 4% 6% 3% 4% 4% 2%
Total Healthcare and life
sciences
Manufacturing Financial services Energy and utilities Higher education Retail
All of the time, we are constantly working on deploying multiple new applications
We deploy new applications on a yearly basis
We deploy new applications on an ad-hoc basis, as and when they are needed
We deploy new applications infrequently, at intermittent intervals

9 of 45
Deployment challenges
Just over four in ten (41%) respondents
feel that application deployment is too time
consuming and takes too long
This would be a particular challenge to the
50% of organizations that are constantly
deploying new applications for business
purposes (fig. 2)
Figure 3: “What are the ongoing challenges experienced by your organization
surrounding deploying additional applications?” asked to all
respondents (900)
41%
39%
37%
36%
36%
34%
33%
32%
30%
24%
4%
Application deployment is time consuming and takes too
long
We struggle to integrate new applications with our
existing systems
Application deployment is too complex and resource
consuming
Application management and maintenance
We struggle to integrate data and processes across
cloud applications
Delivering constant innovation
Overcoming legacy technology/systems
Achieving efficient workflow
Ensuring application security
Gaining an acceptable ROI on new applications
My organization encounters no ongoing challenges
surrounding application deployment

10 of 45
Drawbacks of poor integration
2017 research - the Connected Business: a survey report on business connectivity and the importance of
inegration
Most (89%) respondents admit that their
organization has experienced drawbacks as a result
of poor integration
For 41%, it has cost them money in lost efficiency
Figure 4: “What drawbacks have your organization experienced as a result of poor integration?” asked to all respondents (900)

11 of 45
Further drawbacks
Other drawbacks of poor integration for
over a third include poor workflow
efficiency (36%) or the deployment of new
products being delayed (35%)
Figure 5: “What drawbacks has your organization experienced as a result of
poor integration?” asked to all respondents (900)
41%
36%
35%
33%
30%
29%
27%
25%
22%
16%
11%
It is costing us money in lost efficiency
Poor workflow efficiency
Deployment of new products has been delayed
New applications are not as reliable
Lack of departmental collaboration
New applications are not as effective
Some company data has become siloed
Application updates/upgrades create broken processes
Poor API management
Application updates/upgrades negatively impact data
integrity
My organization has not experienced any drawbacks as
a result of poor integration

12 of 45
Missed opportunities
26%
Have missed multiple
opportunities in the past
12 months as a result of
poor integration
11%
May be missing
opportunities but they don’t
even know it
37%
Have missed one
opportunity in the past 12
months as a result of poor
integration
Figure 6: “In your opinion, has poor integration caused your organization any missed opportunities in the past 12 months?” asked to all respondents (900)

13 of 45
The Achilles heel for some
Nearly six in ten (59%) respondents admit that
“integration is the Achilles heel for my
organization”
Slightly over half (52%) agree that “poor
integration is holding my organization back”
Figure 7: Analysis showing the percentage of respondents who agree with the two statements above, asked to all respondents (900)

14 of 45
Integration
solutions

15 of 45
Integration solutions
Over half (53%) of respondents’ organizations are using an integration solution to help connect new
applications, data sources, or business functions
Figure 8: “Does your organization use an integration solution to help connect new applications, data sources, or business functions?” asked to all respondents, split by the
frequency with which their organization deploys new cloud-based applications for business purposes (900)
53%
75%
43%
20%
25%
18%
36%
28%
12%
4%
16%
23%
9%
1%
4%
26%
2%
1%
1%
4%
Total
Continuous deploy new apps
Deploy new apps yearly
Deploy new apps ad-hoc or infrequently
Yes
No, but we are planning to adopt one in the next 12 months
No, but we are planning to adopt one although no timeframe has been decided
No, and we are not planning to adopt one
We have no knowledge of integration solutions

16 of 45
Types of solutions in use
Figure 9: “What type of integration software/solution is your organization using?”
asked to respondents whose organization uses an integration solution (473)
Organizations have implemented three different
solutions, on average, perhaps driven to overcome the
challenges and drawbacks that they are experiencing
(figs. 3 and 5)
56%
51%
48%
43%
41%
41%
On-premise software
Custom/in-house solution
Application specific data import
Open source software/platform
SaaS provider
Appliance

17 of 45
Savings by industry
Figure 10: Analysis showing the average amount that respondents' organizations have been able to save since implementing an integration solution ($million). Asked to
respondents whose organization uses an integration solution, split by organization sector (473)
On average, using an integration solution/s has
saved respondents’ organizations $2.69m since
implementation
$2.69
$4.01
$3.00
$2.41 $2.28 $2.16
$1.95
Total Financial services Energy and utilities Healthcare and life
sciences
Higher education Manufacturing Retail

18 of 45
Savings by country
Figure 10a: Analysis showing the average amount that respondents' organizations have been able to save since implementing an integration solution ($million). Asked to
respondents whose organization uses an integration solution, split by respondent country (473)
$2.69
$3.26
$2.65
$2.45
$2.00 $2.00
$1.20
$0.30
Total US Australia and New
Zealand
Nordics UK Germany Singapore South East Asia
Organizations in some countries are enjoying the
benefits to more of an extent than others, but on
average all markets are seeing some savings

19 of 45
Capabilities of an integration solution
According to 42% of
respondents whose
organization uses, or plans to
use, an integration solution, it
should allow for faster
innovation
Figure 11: “What would you like your organization's integration
solution to do?” asked to respondents from
organizations that use an integration solution or is
planning on adopting one (807)
59%
56%
51%
47%
42%
40%
37%
35%
31%
27%
Increase data integrity (accuracy consistency, completeness)
Ensure data and information security
Provide a single platform that offers end-to-end connectivity
Accelerate workflow implementations
Allow for faster innovation
Transform business processes to increase efficiency,
productivity and business value
Allow for seamless collaboration throughout the enterprise
with customers, partners, employees and suppliers
Accelerate implementation of new services
Create engaging experiences for workflow participants
Facilitate transitioning legacy, on-premise applications and
databases to the cloud

20 of 45
What can these solutions do?
A significant minority (31-44%) of respondents can achieve the capabilities listed below, but not to the
desired extent – many organizations are being left short by their current integration solutions
Figure 12: “Which of the following capabilities does your organization's integration solution allow, and to what extent?” asked to respondents whose organization uses an
integration solution, not showing ‘Don’t know’ responses (473)
67%
63%
57%
53%
52%
51%
50%
49%
49%
48%
44%
31%
32%
37%
37%
39%
38%
42%
43%
40%
41%
44%
1%
3%
4%
9%
8%
8%
7%
6%
7%
10%
8%
End-to-end integration
Connect cloud applications
Data governance
API management
Centrally manage all integrations
Connect data from IoT endpoints
Hybrid cloud application integration
Best of breed application approach
B2B/EDI integration
Integration between legacy systems
Omni-channel integration
We can do this to a full extent We can do this, but not to the desired extent We cannot do this at all

22 of 45
Adoption of iPaaS
Over four in ten (44%) respondents’ organizations who are using an integration solution, have already
completely adopted an iPaaS solution, with a similar proportion (40%) in the process of doing so
Figure 13: Analysis showing the percentage of respondents whose organization has already adopted iPaaS, are in the process of adopting iPaaS, or are planning to adopt
iPaaS in the next 12 months. Asked to respondents whose organization uses an integration solution, split by respondent country (473)
44%
55%
46% 44% 43%
38%
36%
14%
40%
34% 33% 33%
43%
54%
50%
29%
11%
9%
17% 15%
8% 4%
11%
57%
Total Australia and New
Zealand
Germany UK US Singapore Nordics South East Asia
Yes, we have already completely adopted iPaaS
Yes, we are in the process of adopting iPaaS
No, but we are planning to adopt iPaaS in the next 12 months

23 of 45
Impact of an iPaaS solution
Smarter
75%
“iPaaS has made my
organization smarter”
Better
57%
organization better”
Faster
73%
organization faster”
The majority of respondents whose organization has adopted iPaaS report that…
Figure 14: “What benefits has your organization seen since adopting iPaaS to support integration?” asked to all respondents whose organization has completely adopted,
or are in the process of adopting iPaaS (397)

24 of 45
Recognition of iPaaS among CIOs
CIO respondents recognize the ability of an iPaaS
solution to make their organization smarter,
faster, and better
Figure 15: “What benefits has your organization seen since adopting iPaaS to support
integration?” asked to all respondents whose organization has completely
adopted, or are in the process of adopting iPaaS, showing only the responses by
CIO respondents (108)
86%
75%
56%
iPaaS has made my
organization smarter
iPaaS has made my
organization faster
iPaaS has made my
organization better

25 of 45
Other ways to
improve connectivity

26 of 45
Application programming interfaces (API)
2017 research - the Connected Business: a survey report on business connectivity and the
importance of integration
Around two in five (38%) respondents
say that effectively controlling each
APIs lifecycle is a challenge that their
organization has encountered
Figure 16: “When using an application programming interface (API) what challenges, if any, has your organization encountered?” asked to all respondents (900)
38%
36%
35%
32%
30%
30%
11%
5%
Effectively controlling each APIs lifecycle
Inability to rapidly create and publish any end
point as an API
Managing and monitoring web services in a
single environment
Difficulty designing and coding APIs
Publishing APIs either for use on-premise on
in the cloud
Managing APIs and application integrations in
a unified platform
My organization has not encountered any
challenges when using APIs
My organization does not use APIs

27 of 45
Master data management (MDM)
The vast majority (93%) of respondents
feel that using MDM could help their
organization with using and managing data
Figure 17: “How could using a master data management (MDM) solution help your organization with using and managing data?” asked to all respondents (900)
57%
54%
50%
44%
38%
30%
7%
Increase data accuracy and consistency
More effective data analysis
Increase the usability and application of data
Reduce the number of duplicate records
Reduce the time taken to gain insight from
analytics
Save money currently spent on auditing and
fixing bad data
Using MDM would not help my organization
within using and managing data

28 of 45
Low-code application development
Two in five (40%) respondents’
organizations use a low-code
application development solution, with
this being more likely in Singapore
(48%), ANZ (47%), and the US (44%)
Figure 18: Analysis showing the percentage of respondents whose organization is currently using, or would consider using, a low-code application development solution. Asked
to all respondents, split by respondent country (900)
40%
48%
47%
44%
36%
36%
30%
14%
52%
52%
45%
51%
54%
56%
70%
44%
Total
Singapore
US
UK
Nordics
Germany
South East Asia
Yes, we already use a low-code application development solution
We do not currently use a low-code application development solution, but would consider it

29 of 45
Benefits of using a low-code solution
Nearly all (99%) respondents whose
organization uses, or would consider
using a low-code solution see benefits
from using it to build applications, with
easier application maintenance being
the most likely (50%)
Figure 19: “What benefits do you see from using a low-code solution to build applications?” asked to respondents whose organization is currently using, or would consider
using, a low-code application development solution (827)
50%
47%
45%
44%
37%
35%
30%
25%
23%
1%
Ease of application maintenance
Increased collaboration by developers
Accelerates time to market
Visual development helps with innovation
Ability to create better solutions that meet
business needs
Increased process automation software
configuration is easier in a low-code environment
API-based connectivity
Reduction of development costs
No chance for human error when coding
There are no benefits to using a low-code solution
to build applications

30 of 45
Mobile integration struggles
Nearly six in ten (59%) respondents admit
that their organization finds it challenging to
create mobile applications to connect
employees, partners and customers to
company data and business applications
when they are working remotely/away from
their place of work
Figure 20: “Has your organization found it challenging to create mobile applications to connect employees, partners and customers to company data and business applications
when they are working remotely/away from their place of work?” asked to all respondents (900)
16%
43%
37%
4%
Does your organization struggle to create mobile
applications to connect stakeholders?
Yes, this is something that my organization cannot do
Yes, this is something that my organization struggles with
No, we do not find this a challenge
No, we do not attempt to connect employees away from their place of work

31 of 45
Mobile integration benefits
The vast majority (94%) of respondents believe
that integrated mobile applications for
employees, partners and customers to use
when they are away from the office/their place
of work, would be beneficial to their organization
Figure 21: “Would integrated mobile applications for employees, partners and customers to use when they are away from the office/their place of work, be useful to your
organization?” asked to all respondents (900)
52%42%
5%
1%
Would there be benefits to integrated mobile
applications connecting stakeholders?
Yes, integrated mobile applications would be hugely beneficial
Yes, integrated mobile applications would be beneficial
No, I do not see how integrated mobile applications would benefit us
Don’t know

32 of 45
Becoming The
Connected
Business

33 of 45
Benefits of The Connected Business
99% of respondents state that their
organization would see benefits
through improving its integration
and becoming a more connected
business
Figure 22: “What benefits do you feel that your organization would enjoy if it could improve its integration and become a more connected business?” asked to all
respondents (900)
67%
61%
53%
47%
47%
46%
41%
35%
26%
1%
Improved productivity
Improved data accessibility
More efficient workflow processes
Better organizational communication
Increase profitability
Information will be easier to share
Faster and more accurate decision making
More robust and sustainable business growth
We can provide a more customer centric
experience/service
My organization would not see any benefits

34 of 45
Benefits of The Connected Business
Figure 23: “What benefits do you feel that your organization would enjoy if it could improve its integration and become a more connected business?” asked to all
respondents (900)
In fact, each respondent would expect
their organization to see four different
benefits as a result of becoming better
connected as a business

35 of 45
Benefits of improving integration
Figure 23a: “What benefits do you feel that your organization would enjoy if it could improve its integration and become a more connected business?” showing selected answers
only, asked to all respondents, split by respondent country (900)
67%
74% 73%
66% 64%
58% 58%
44%
47%
44%
54%
46%
43%
34%
22%
40%
Total Singapore US UK Australia and New
Zealand
Germany Nordics South East Asia
Improved productivity Increase profitability

36 of 45
Crucial outcomes of integrations
Smarter
40%
“To use integration to
make my organization
smarter”
Better
46%
better”
Faster
46%
faster”
When integrating applications, data sources, and business functions, it is crucial that this makes my
organization…
Figure 24: Analysis showing the percentage of respondents who report that when integrating applications, data sources, and business functions, it is crucial that this makes their
organization smarter, faster, or better. Asked to all respondents (900)

37 of 45
When integrating, we also want to…
When integrating applications, data sources, and business functions, allowing for faster innovation is a crucial
outcome for almost four in ten (39%) respondents and their organizations
Figure 25: Analysis showing the percentage of respondents who report that when integrating applications, data sources, and business functions, the above outcomes are
crucial to their organization. Asked to all respondents (900)
49%
47%
39%
34% 34% 33%
Improve operational
efficiency
Become more responsive
to customer’s needs
Allow for faster innovation Streaming the adoption of
new technologies
Create new revenue
streams
Bring more products and
services to market

38 of 45
Work still to be done
Figure 24a: Analysis showing the percentage of respondents who agree with the above statements. Asked to all respondents, split by respondent country (900)
86%
91% 88% 88% 87% 86% 83%
78%
58%
50%
78%
46%
63%
40%
59%
48%51%
44%
80%
44%
48% 46%
55%
58%
Total Australia and New
Zealand
South East Asia Singapore US Nordics UK Germany
Organizations like mine need to improve connectivity
My organization is struggling to become more connected
My organization’s CEO does not fully realize the potential of the connected business

40 of 45
Critical nature of becoming a connected business
Over half (53%) of surveyed CIOs believe that over
the next 5 years, successful integration will be
crucial to their organization if they want to remain
competitive
Figure 26: Analysis showing the percentage of CIO respondents who believe that over the next
five years, successful integration will be crucial to their organization if they want to
remain competitive. Asked to all CIO respondents (174)

41 of 45
Over the next 5 years…
59% - “we will be
integrating more
applications for more
functions”
49% - “we will be
integrating applications
at a faster rate”
40% - “we will be
moving legacy, on-
premise applications to
the cloud”
19% - “we will start
outsourcing some of our
application integration”
Figure 27: “Looking ahead over the next 5 years, what changes do you anticipate regarding your organization's application integration processes?” asked to all respondents, not
showing responses to the options ‘We will be integrating fewer applications for fewer functions’, ‘We will be integrating applications at a slower rate’, ‘We will integrate
more APIs’, or ‘We will integrate an MDM solution’ (900)

42 of 45
Level of business connectivity
The trend is for respondents to believe that their
organization is more connected now than it was 3
years’ ago, and to anticipate it becoming more
connected over the next 3 years, on average
Figure 28: Analysis showing the average level of connectivity within respondents’ organizations, in
the past, currently, and in the future. Asked to all respondents (900)
37.44%
49.65%
58.78%
67.20%
75.59%
3 years’ ago 12 months’ ago Now In 12 months’ time In 3 years’ time

43 of 45
The Connected Business = revenue growth
86% of respondents
see revenue growth as a
possible outcome of
becoming more
connected as a business
On average, a revenue
growth of 10% is
anticipated, equating to
$491 million
Figure 29: “What, if any, impact would becoming more
connected as a business have on revenue
growth over the course of 12 months?” asked
to all respondents (900)

44 of 45
The real value of revenue growth
Figure 29a: Analysis showing the average expected revenue growth over the course of 12 months as a result of becoming more connected as a business (left) and the average real
value of revenue growth calculated using average organization revenue (right). Asked to all respondents, split by respondent country (900)
9.82%
11.22%
9.39%
9.35%
9.30%
8.72%
8.63%
2.76%
Total
US
UK
Germany
Singapore
Nordics
South East Asia
Average expected revenue growth that
becoming more connected as a business
*Using the average revenue
calculated from the question
“What is your organization’s
global annual revenue?”
$491
$545
$810
$303
$376
$323
$201
$40
Total
US
UK
Germany
Singapore
Nordics
South East Asia
Real value of revenue growth (millions)*

45 of 45
Emerging technology trends
Nearly all (97%) respondents expect their
organization to invest in at least one emerging
technology over the next 12 months
On average, organizations will be investing in
three separate trends each
Figure 30: “Which of the following emerging technology trends will your organization be investing in over
the next 12 months?”, asked to all respondents (900)
57%
52%
47%
43%
33%
31%
27%
26%
24%
3%
Cloud native applications and platforms
Security automation
Real-time data analytics and insight platforms
AI/cognitive IT
Serverless computing
Connected devices/IoT
Augmented and virtual reality
Robotics/drones
Event driven processes
My organization will not be investing in any emerging
technology trends over the next 12 months

46 of 45
Impact of emerging trends
For some respondents, the expectation
is that emerging technology will
completely revolutionize their
organization, or the markets in which
they operate
Figure 31: Analysis showing the percentage of respondents who believe that emerging
technology will completely revolutionize their organization or the markets in
which they operate. Asked to all respondents (900)
36%
33%
23%
26%
My organization My industry/sector My domestic
market/economy
The global
market/economy

47 of 45
In summary
• Integration is a struggle for organizations globally – most (89%) respondents admit that their organization has experienced
drawbacks because of poor integration, with almost two thirds (64%) acknowledging that they have missed business
opportunities
• Over half (53%) currently use an integration solution, but they are resorting to using three different solutions, on average –
with 95% of those currently using an integration solution expecting to be deploying an iPaaS based solution within the next
12 months
• These solutions are already having a strong impact on respondents’ organizations – saving organizations $2.69m since
implementation, on average. Furthermore, the majority of respondents whose organization uses an iPaaS solution report
that it is making their organization smarter (75%), faster (73%), or better (57%)
• For over half (53%) of surveyed CIOs, successful integration will be crucial if their organization is to remain competitive
over the next five years. This is perhaps because 59% of respondents expect their organization to be integrating more
applications for more business functions in that timeframe
• The benefits of being a connected business are wide-reaching, with improved productivity (67%), improved data
accessibility (61%), more efficient workflows (53%), increased profitability (47%) and faster, more accurate decision-
making (41%) all expected as a result of improved integration
• 86% of respondents say that becoming a connected business will enable them to increase revenue. Over 12 months,
respondents estimate that their connected businesses could expect revenue to grow 10 percent, or $491m

The Connected Business Survey: Improving Integration and Creating Connectivity in 2018

More Related Content

What's hot (19)

Similar to The Connected Business Survey: Improving Integration and Creating Connectivity in 2018 (20)

Recently uploaded (20)

The Connected Business Survey: Improving Integration and Creating Connectivity in 2018