Interview: Katrina Troughton, Adobe

What is the major potential tech pain point that will face organisations large and small in 2023?

Consumer expectations are at an all-time high. Australians want to connect with brands and government in a way that feels personalised, relevant, secure and seamless across channels. Businesses that are putting a laser focus on customer experience management (CXM) and delivering personalised digital experiences in real time are coming out in front and building trust with customers.

A recent Trust Report by Adobe revealed nine in 10 executives said trust has become harder to earn and maintain since before the pandemic. It also revealed that today’s digitally savvy consumers expect Australian companies to step up as trust leaders in their communities, workplaces and marketplaces. From living their brand purpose and respecting customer data to delivering valuable experiences, trust is earned — and broken — with every experience.

What’s on your tech wish list from governments, innovators and wider industry in 2023?

Adobe recently launched its world-first Global Digital Performance and Inclusion (GDPI) Index to evaluate governments’ digital performance, globally, nationally and at a state and department level. The research revealed the challenges that many Australians face finding, accessing and engaging with digital government services, and the disproportionate impact on many Australians with regard to accessibility, readability and language.

Developing the Index as a first-of-its-kind framework for measuring performance and digital equity is the first step. Universal standards are next, and then solutions that can help close the equity gap, including improving mobile experiences, findability and consistency of government information.

Which new technologies will reach critical mass and become dominant in 2023?

Content fuels the digital economy. In a world of massive content acceleration, companies and government must implement effective content management strategies and use industry-leading tools to create impactful, personalised customer and citizen experiences.

Equally, without strong data management, enterprises lack an effective approach to engage customers and citizens in real time. By 2025 Gartner predicts that 80% of organisations will abandon personalisation efforts due to a failed data management strategy.

To be successful enterprises and government agencies need a data-driven operating model to re-architect their technology, processes and people. Organisational technology siloes must be bridged to deliver exceptional customer and citizen experiences. Enterprises must have one place for connecting and managing work across the entire customer lifecycle and be more agile than ever to rapidly iterate between making sense of the market and executing decisions.

Lastly, whether serving citizens, consumers or business buyers, organisations must deploy advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to tap content and behavioural insights to deliver the most impactful customer experience in real time.

Will IT continue to drive organisational efficiency in a hybrid work world and who should lead the charge (CEOs, CIOs, CTOs, etc)?

The way we work has undeniably changed over the last few years as the workforce has become predominately digital. It’s especially important that organisations work cross-functionally together to identify and adopt new technology so teams can work productively and collaboratively wherever they are.

AI has a huge role to play in the future of work, whether that’s being used to deepen employee insights, accelerate tasks or improve decision-making abilities. By leveraging AI technology, we can drive more rewarding experiences for employees, who can devote more time to ideation, creation and execution.

Katrina Troughton is Vice President and Managing Director for Adobe ANZ, responsible for supporting customers to drive their digital engagement to new levels. With over 30 years in the global technology industry, Katrina is a creative and outcome-focused leader with a proven track record of transforming businesses for sustainable growth.