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Powering Up Your Business Processes

When we asked more than 11,000 senior executives from around the world about their priorities for revenue growth, operational efficiency, and risk management, they said they see a direct link between innovation and increasing revenues.

They are exploiting that link by investing in new or more sustainable products and services along with improving customer experiences. Improving cost control and making operations more sustainable are their top strategies for bolstering operations. To battle risk, they are strengthening their supply chains, avoiding damage to their reputations, and protecting against cybersecurity attacks.

 

These findings show how companies can remain competitive: by transforming business processes to support innovation and flexibility. Learn more about our findings.

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Senior Executive Priorities

Our survey shows that senior executives are transforming their businesses to be more sustainable, cost-effective, and flexible.  

Read the findings below, or download the PDF version of this report. 

Revenue Growth Drivers

Sustainability is a top revenue driver, and it lies at the core of some respondents’ growth strategies.

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Efficiency Drivers

Operating sustainably is important to gaining greater efficiency.

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Future Global Risks

Leaders see future business risks stemming from a wide range of economic and social concerns, including climate change.

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Risk Reducers

In the near term, businesses will be focused on reducing rooted in current threats.

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Process-Enabling Technologies

Businesses are turning to technologies that help them improve processes that came under pressure during the pandemic.

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Critical Areas for Innovation

Respondents see sustainability as an essential area for business innovation.

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Competition and Profitability

Successful business transformation is critical to companies’ long-term profitability and competitiveness.

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Needs for Process Change

To improve their processes, businesses need to become more flexible, agile, and collaborative.

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Process Transformation Journey

Many companies expect to still be in the earliest stages of business transformation in two years.

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Read the analysis of our survey results: "Bridging the Gap Between Sustainability and Financial Metrics"

Still think sustainability is a loss leader, a side project? Guess again. Survey respondents say they are embedding it into their business processes at the deepest levels, not because they have to, but because it gets results.

Meet the Authors

Emily Acton
Analyst and Editor | SAP Insights research center

Thomas Birnmeyer
Senior Director, Global Sustainability | SAP

Connor Gaspar
Research Data Scientist | SAP Insights research center

Christopher Koch
Senior Editorial Director | SAP Insights research center

Michael Rander
Senior Director and Head of Operations | SAP Insights research center

David Jonker
Vice President and Chief Analyst | SAP Insights research center

Dan Wellers
Futures and Foresight Lead | SAP Insights research center

Sarah Dziuk
Senior Director and Research Integration Leader | SAP Insights research center

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Jenny Hill
Senior Marketing Specialist | SAP Insights research center

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Christine Susanne Müller
Director Global Sustainability Transformation and Change Management | SAP

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