C-suite agenda seeks growth and innovation in balance with cost control and efficiency

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CGI global research also reveals that AI rises in priority to accelerate outcomes, while digital leader advantages widen

MONTRéAL, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, released its annual global proprietary research, which analyzes findings from more than 1,800 in-person interviews with business and technology executives, of which 80% are C-level. This year's research across 21 economic sectors reveals three key takeaways:

  • Rebalancing cost savings with revenue growth: As clients shift to a renewed focus on revenue growth, they cite the need to drive innovation, introduce new products and services, and improve the customer and citizen experience, while also achieving modernization, optimization and cost control.

  • Closer business and IT alignment: The alignment between business and IT operations to execute a shared strategy is at its highest level. CGI sees the primary drivers for this as a combination of business efficiency focus and the use of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), to drive business outcomes.

  • Increasing advantages for digital leaders: Digital leaders (those producing expected results from their digital strategies) are widening the gap in achieving desired outcomes compared to those building and launching their strategies. For example, digital leaders are more successful in expanding their data strategies, modernizing legacy systems, driving business model agility, using managed services, and implementing advanced technologies, including AI.

"This resurgence in growth as a priority, along with a continued focus on cost savings through efficiencies, is well aligned to CGI's end-to-end services and solutions and our focus on delivering tangible business outcomes," said Jean-Michel Baticle, President & Chief Operating Officer, CGI. "We expect the dual agenda of growth and efficiencies to drive new opportunities to help clients evolve their business models, apply innovation, and accelerate a shared business and IT agenda to achieve ROI-led digital transformation."

As executives pursue this dual agenda, they are increasingly looking to AI. Across industries, CGI's research reveals that 26% are implementing traditional AI—up 10 percentage points year-over-year—and 79% are investigating or conducting proofs of concept for generative AI. AI also tops clients' innovation investment priorities over the next three years. Further, executives are deepening their focus on data because of AI.