Surface Business Resilience Ebook

Drive business resilience with AI PCs Modern devices that support the pace of innovation Change is the only constant of modern work Modern work operates at a relentless pace. Requests, emails, and meeting invites are coming through nonstop, making time the most precious commodity. Business isn’t just always moving—it’s always changing. From shifting market conditions and diverse work styles to emerging technologies and cybersecurity threats, transformative forces challenge businesses of all sizes. Success in business today demands agile, innovative thinking that turns disruption into growth opportunities. It demands resilience. Resilient businesses go beyond simply reacting to change. They proactively chart their courses into the future, pivoting quickly to pursue new possibilities when they arrive. Instead of following behind others or merely keeping pace, resilient businesses are out on the cutting edge, setting trends and making their marks—and reaping the benefits. In this eBook, we’ll discuss how, businesses can remove the friction from employees’ workdays to support their ability to adapt to new circumstances. Then, we’ll focus on four key areas of business resilience: powerfully productive technology, agile operations, cyber resilience, and a culture of innovation.

of people say they don’t have enough uninterrupted focus time during the workday. Annual Report, May 2023. P A G E 2 Envision a frictionless future The workforce drives innovation and growth. But forces of friction can slow the workforce down, leaving less time for flexibility to adapt and innovate when change arrives. Friction can come in many forms: •Security incidents •Outdated software that can’t keep up with the task at hand •Adjustments to changing work environments •Poor sound and video quality •Hardware form factors that can’t adapt •Outdated hardware with low processing power •Lack of accessibility options •Time spent searching for information While some of these might seem minor, they each contribute to the employee’s overall experience. Each one interrupts or limits the flow of work. And sometimes it can take a lot of time and effort to get back to that focused mindset, leaving employees less engaged and less productive. And if employees are bogged down in the minutiae of overcoming everyday obstacles, they don’t have time to craft new solutions when change arrives. Whether it’s a competitor’s latest product reveal or a cybersecurity breach, employees have less bandwidth to adapt and respond. They also have less time to think ahead and anticipate new possibilities or deliver their own innovations that would catapult the company forward. On average, each additional point of employee engagement reported correlated with a +46,511 USD difference in market cap per employee. “The New Performance Equation in the Age of AI,” Microsoft, P A G E 3 IT decision-makers face similar challenges. They’re asked to think strategically about big issues, to transform their organizations using new technology, and to help their organizations stay on the cutting edge. They’re also increasingly responsible for ensuring employees have the tools they need to be productive and engaged in their work. Constant security and management interruptions take time that could be spent focusing on the bigger picture of business growth. When change or opportunity do arise, IT isn’t able to respond as quickly as required. They’re unable to look ahead and invest time and resources in technologies and initiatives that drive value. So how should IT leaders tackle the forces of change and friction head on?

By 2025, Global 2000 (G2000) organizations will allocate over 40% of their core IT spend to AI- related initiatives. The building blocks of business resilience Enterprising leaders build resilient businesses that enable their workforce to adapt to changing circumstances, grow, and discover new possibilities. They know resilience is built by combining powerfully productive technology that lends itself to agile operations and cyber resilience, thereby creating efficiencies for employees and, ultimately, fuel for a culture of innovation. Top 10 Worldwide IT Industry 2024 Predictions: Mastering AI Everywhere”, IDC, November 2023. P A G E 4 a frictionless future (cont’d)