U.K. Companies Hammered by Pandemic, Brexit Bounce Back with Fast Digital Business Rollouts

Enterprises in the U.K. facing disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have turned to technology and service providers for assistance on a wide range of digital transformation projects, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

The 2021 ISG Provider Lens™ Digital Business Solutions and Services report for the U.K. finds companies were forced to adjust to public safety regulations, reach customers through online channels and overcome supply-chain challenges just to stay afloat in the early days of the pandemic. To do so, many deployed new digital technologies, such as automation and analytics to maintain operations with fewer staff and gauge the best approaches to supply chains and customer experiences.

“Providers of digital business solutions and services allowed British businesses to weather the onset of the pandemic and then craft post-COVID strategies,” said Ola Chowing, partner, ISG Digital Strategy and Solutions, based in the U.K. “Using data-driven analytical models, they are finding ways for companies to grow in the post-pandemic era.”

In the U.K., supply chain issues are especially challenging, due to both COVID-related fluctuations in supply and demand and changing processes in the wake of Brexit, the report says. Service providers have built applications to assess demand-supply requirements and implemented automation to address rising costs and personnel shortages in this area. Brexit has led some enterprises to realign the core systems of their supply chains with the help of provider partners.

Service providers have acted quickly to help enterprises create online customer experiences and direct-to-consumer strategies and applications, ISG says. These deployments have been supported by fast-growing adoption of cloud-based implementations, including customer experience services that providers have rolled out on hyperscalers’ cloud platforms.

Blockchain technology is beginning to gain traction in some areas in the U.K., including vehicle charging records, healthcare records and supply-chain smart contracts and track-and-trace applications, according to ISG. Some payment providers have launched cryptocurrency services. Providers continue to build, deploy and manage blockchain solutions for clients seeking to expand their services over time across the region.

As sustainability and decarbonization have become major issues across Europe, many enterprises in the U.K. are aiming for carbon neutrality and zero emissions by 2030, the report says. Providers have developed offerings specifically for these efforts, including services to assess and measure emissions, assess where companies could reduce or eliminate their carbon footprint, and create decarbonization strategies across business units.

The 2021 ISG Provider Lens™ Digital Business Solutions and Services report for the U.K. evaluates the capabilities of 45 providers across five quadrants: Digital Business Consulting Services, Digital Customer Experience Services, Digital Supply Chain Transformation Services, Sustainability and Decarbonization Services, and Blockchain Services.

The report names Accenture and Wipro as Leaders in all five quadrants. It names Atos, HCL and IBM as Leaders in four quadrants each and Capgemini and Zensar as Leaders in three quadrants each. Cognizant, Infosys, TCS and Tech Mahindra are named as Leaders in two quadrants each. The report names BCG, Birlasoft, Coforge, Deloitte, EY, Hexaware, McKinsey, Mindtree, PwC and Siemens as Leaders in one quadrant each.

In addition, GEP and Kin+Carta are named as Rising Stars—companies with a “promising portfolio” and “high future potential” by ISG’s definition—in one quadrant each.

A customized version of the report is available from Hexaware.

The 2021 ISG Provider Lens™ Digital Business Solutions and Services report for the U.K. is available to subscribers or for one-time purchase on this webpage.

About ISG Provider Lens™ Research

The ISG Provider Lens™ Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG's global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG's enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe, as well as in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, the U.K., France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics, Australia and Singapore/Malaysia, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit this webpage.

A companion research series, the ISG Provider Lens Archetype reports, offer a first-of-its-kind evaluation of providers from the perspective of specific buyer types.

About ISG

ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: III) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 700 clients, including more than 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm specializes in digital transformation services, including automation, cloud and data analytics; sourcing advisory; managed governance and risk services; network carrier services; strategy and operations design; change management; market intelligence and technology research and analysis. Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Conn., ISG employs more than 1,300 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countries—a global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industry’s most comprehensive marketplace data. For more information, visit www.isg-one.com.

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