IT headcount lags behind growth in digital strategies

There is a huge gap in technology staffing for e-commerce operations, according to a new report from analyst Forrester.

In Trends 2014: Staffing And Hiring For eBusiness, Forrester reported that technology management demands the highest headcount.

As Computer Weekly has reported previously, with the economy improving, business leaders are looking at ways to use technology to build new digitally enabled businesses.

The growing role of digital has brought extra cross-functional responsibility for e-business teams, with 32% of e-business professionals operating mobile programmes for stores and branches, up from 21% last year.

Experts say four key technology trends – social, cloud, analytics and mobile – are driving digitisation in business. But, as Forrester’s research has found, organisations are being held back by a lack of skills.

Technology, development and infrastructure represent 22% of e-business teams’ staffing allocation, says Forrester.

Based on the responses of 96 e-business and channel strategy professionals, the Forrester report found that 18% said their IT section was most understaffed.

Companies with worldwide revenues of $1bn or less have an average of 56 e-business team members, while those with revenues of $5bn or more have an average of 185 e-business staff.

According to Forrester, although 74% of business executives say their company has a digital strategy, only 15% believe their organisation has the skills and capabilities to execute on that strategy.