Digital transformation 2023: 5 key trends that shaped business development

Despite negative shifts in geopolitics and the global economy, the pace of digital transformation continued to grow in 2023.

IT analytics agency IDC found that nearly 33% of spending on these projects is included in the budgets of Asia-Pacific countries, including CIS. A NAUMEN survey showed that digital transformation is being implemented across more than 18 sectors of CIS business.

Changes in this area were driven by a number of factors.

These include the geopolitical situation, stricter requirements for information systems, and new cyberthreats.

All of them affected both strategy choices and timelines and budgets.

Replacing foreign software and IT solutions with CIS alternatives produced several useful results right away:

Maintaining the pace of digital transformation.

Foreign vendors' refusal to cooperate can disrupt the process or slow it down.

Installing CIS software and equipment removes this risk.

The government has repeatedly warned that other countries use their IT developments in information warfare.

According to State Duma member A. Gorelkin, without software import substitution it is impossible to preserve state independence and protect citizens' rights.

In 2023, AI technologies began to spread more actively into company operations. According to O.

According to Sorokina at the Finapolis forum, neural networks were already used in almost 50% of business processes.

This technology has made particularly strong inroads into retail, especially online commerce. Thanks in particular to AI, the sector's health index has almost doubled compared with 2022.

Study results published by Calltouch and HeadHunter showed a score of 55 points.

Other sectors where neural networks were used more actively in 2023 include banks, microfinance organizations, insurance companies; call centers of various organizations, including municipal entities; clinics and medical centers; industrial enterprises.

The tasks of artificial intelligence in these and other fields began to expand and become more complex. For example, in finance, credit scoring was automated thanks to AI analysis.

The robot collects information about the applicant, reviews their credit history, financial situation, and how often they apply to banks.

Then it generates an automatic decision on the loan application.

It was in 2023 that such technologies began to be actively used in the digital transformation of several banks.

Another example of AI use is the introduction of smart assistants.

These can include chatbots, voice assistants, and visual prompts.

They can be aimed not only at customers but also at employees. In digital transformation, this is especially important: neural network assistants make it easier for staff to adapt to change.

For the customer, this solution is convenient because they do not have to wait long for an operator or consultant to respond. And if they need to resolve a simple issue, such as checking an order status, the AI assistant can handle it without human involvement.

In 2023, Sberbank, for example, recognized the value of AI technologies by deploying a chatbot and voice guidance system in its app and on its website.

That was also when its own neural network appeared

It began to be used not only by private individuals but also by businesses.

It helped automate repetitive processes and simplified Big Data analysis and customer request processing. Meanwhile, the telecom operator Rostelecom implemented its own Lukomorye platform, which can fully automate document management, analytics, and testing using AI technologies.

Digital transformation in 2023 involved the deployment of an entire range of modern IT solutions.

They began to be actively used to organize data storage, data processing, and shared access in team collaboration.

This proved far more efficient, safer, and cheaper than buying and maintaining in-house servers. And since companies often move fully or partially to remote operations during digital transformation, cloud technologies made it possible to create the necessary conditions for that. In 2023, cloud computing was adopted by firms of all sizes and across many industries.

A notable example: VK Cloud developed a cloud platform for building and launching IT solutions specifically for Gazprom Neft.

The service brought together computing tools and services for processing large data. As a result, information processing efficiency at the company increased to 70%.

As Selectel went through its digital transformation stage, it rethought the format of its services.

Its infrastructure became available in two formats - IaaS and PaaS.

X5 Group switched to cloud services for logistics management.

This helped reduce costs associated with delivery and assortment distribution, and improve customer service quality.

, which simplified cooperation with freight train owners.

The corporation also launched its own software robot factory to automate partner operations, which also works on a cloud model. Sovcombank switched to cloud solutions that simplified the processing of mortgage-backed securities and the registration of real estate transactions.

The bank also began using these technologies to store archived documents that had been converted to digital format. As a result, costs decreased and security improved. In 2023, not only did existing cloud services continue to develop, but new ones also began to appear.

They were launched by major companies such as Reg.ru and MTS. And since sanction pressure did not ease, domestic cloud technologies became more popular.

, are resolved several times faster; personalization - digital transformation helped businesses adapt to the needs of specific customer groups and attract new customers through a wide range of tailored offers; cost reduction - EDI, automation, and other solutions help optimize business expenses.

The shift to digital in 2023 cannot be called complete, but the most significant changes took place during this period.

They affected both individual companies and the state.

The Ministry of Digital Development reports that digital transformation was most active in telecommunications, IT, finance, and online retail.

At the same time, new risks and issues were identified, and they will need to be addressed in later periods.