Almost 500 industry influencers have already taken our Analyst/Advisor Attitude Survey, which closes this week. Their responses reveal analysts’ deepening future orientation. They told us that the three main challenges for the providers they follow are: to innovate business; to change markets and to better articulate their value.
We’ll be running a webinar to discuss the findings on June 22nd and July 6th (contact us to find out more). Challenges vary between industries and segment, but analysts feel that even ‘powerhouse‘ firms like Microsoft, Cisco and Amazon seem profoundly challenged in today’s market.
- First, innovation now requires more than the shift from legacy to cloud technologies. Clients not only need providers who can deliver business results but also those who are more than just ‘plumbers’ of the cloud. Providers need to be creating new economic models and new value for clients’ end customers.
- Second, providers need the insight needed to empowers their clients to change whole markets, not just to optimize current operations. Buyers now expect insight on new business models, new solutions, and profitable business opportunities.
- Third, providers must differentiate within increasingly crowded markets and show their distinctive commitment to priority segments. That certainly involves getting the message out, but it also means showing different approaches towards talent management and internal change.
These three are very challenging issues for AR as well. Few firms have a good supply of spokespeople able to take up such strategic issues. In particular, the gap on some issues — such as business model innovation, which few providers address – is very stark.
Of course, these are not the only challenges for providers: candor remains a challenge, especially for Oracle; economic and political risks have never been more important for analysts. That also shows the higher level, and less solution-oriented nature, of the work of analysts. Of course, that partly reflects the pressure of user review sites. They cannot compete on which strategic levels, so that is where analysts are increasing refocussing.
Kea clients can get a free seat for either webinar by emailing their Kea partner or our help desk.
