The research, conducted by an external provider and carried out in September with approximately 1,000 business decision makers around New Zealand, found that for businesses slowly getting back on track after major disruptions to their work, technology is a key enabler.
Of those businesses, 35 percent identified flexibility to work from home as important to getting back on track, with over a quarter (26 percent) identifying improved digital skills and access, and one in five (20 percent) saying that it was better technology.
Andrew Fairgray, chief business officer at 2degrees, said the research shows that every business needs strong digital capabilities to weather the changing landscape.
"In 2021, every business is a technology company, in some way," said Andrew. "Technology has played a role in nearly every business' ability to continue through the ongoing disruption of the past 18 months, and it will continue to as the environment changes."
When asked about the things they had done to put their business in a better position since the 2020 lockdowns, 2degrees found that 15 percent of businesses had invested in communication technology, while 17 percent had invested in computers and equipment for employees to use at home, 17 percent had trained staff with new digital skills. When asked about the August 2021 lockdown, 9 percent wished they had invested more in digital training.
Technology and digital upskilling also play a key part in businesses' future plans. Of business leaders planning to increase investment in their business in the next year, 35 percent were planning to invest in digital upskilling.
Andrew added that the research shows just how important it is that all businesses have a good digital strategy and keep their technology up to date.
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