London, UK – 30 April 2018 – Half of digital companies* (49%) are worried that their biggest revenue-creating products and services will no longer be attractive to the market within two years, according to research by Currencycloud, the leading international payment platform.
In order to stay relevant, two thirds (60%) believe they must innovate constantly, reveals Fostering innovation: from ideas to action, which surveyed 500 senior executives across UK and US digital businesses.
The findings show that, in spite of efforts to innovate, half (51%) of companies find it difficult to keep up with the pace of change in their industry. What’s more, nearly half of respondents (47%) believe they are frequently too slow in bringing new ideas to market.
Despite the lag in enthusiasm during development, a third (29%) of businesses are able to turn innovations into growth, indicating that the ability to action new ideas has a significant part to play in driving success in the digital economy.
Todd Latham, CMO and VP of Product at Currencycloud, commented: “The pace of change today is so high that organisations simply can’t rest on their laurels. Our research finds that obsolescence is now a very real threat for organisations, so innovation needs to move from something that happens in R&D, to a core business competency.”
The research found that coming up with innovative new ideas is less of a challenge for organisations than execution, with over half (54%) saying they struggle to turn ideas into reality. Yet, once an idea is off the ground it becomes harder again to keep up momentum, according to half (50%) of the companies interviewed.
Partnerships with external organisations can offer businesses a solution to bridging the gap between idea and action by removing the need to do everything in-house. Almost two-thirds (59%) said that collaboration with external parties can lead to the best innovation.
Todd continued: “Digital companies have kickstarted innovation in businesses, but thankfully we’re now past the David versus Goliath ‘disruption’ story. Technology-led innovation is epitomised by the platform economy, and in this world, innovation is all about rethinking how things work, combining the best components to create brand new and exciting products and services. Collaborating with others gives businesses the tools to address some of the challenges our research has highlighted, but also stay relevant in a busy business landscape.”
ENDS
Contact:
Micky Izelaar: currencycloud@octopusgrp.com/02038373687
Chantel Gohil-Gray: chantel.gohilgray@currencycloud.com
Fostering Innovation: from ideas to action research methodology
B2B research agency, Loudhouse, conducted the research on behalf of Currencycloud in January 2018. The research sample was as follows:
- 500 senior executives at digital businesses, i.e. *businesses that have a need to interact with customers or suppliers using digital means beyond just using email; 200 in the UK, 300 in the US
- Half of respondents worked at an SME organisation with up to 250 employees, and half at enterprises businesses with over 250 employees
- Sectors represented included, but were not limited to, retail (15%), IT/telecoms (14%), manufacturing (13%) and finance (13%)
www.currencycloud.com/fostering-innovation/
About Currencycloud
Currencycloud‘s technology is the power inside countless businesses, driving the transformation of the global payments landscape by removing the friction and inefficiencies of traditional cross-border payments through its flexible APIs. Launched in 2012, Currencycloud is based in London and is regulated in Europe and the U.S.
