Digital transformation halted by lack of skills, money and partner support

Despite a desire to engage in digital transformation, Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) and BT research finds that lack of skills and resources, as well as support from partners, is slowing down these plans.
Almost all of the organisations surveyed have cloud-enabled digital transformation plans, however IT teams are struggling against key hurdles.
The research is based on a survey of 40 IT decision makers and business decision makers within enterprises of 1,000 plus people, and is focused on organisations in the United Kingdom.
It found that 98% organisations’ digital transformation strategy is moderately clear. Despite this, 41% of respondents said lack of human resources (41%), lack of skills in-house (40%) and lack of budget (38%) is preventing their organisation becoming digitised more quickly.
Furthermore, 25% do not believe they have appropriate support from their partners. The study reports that complexity is a major issue.
The research finds that organisations are managing an increasingly sophisticated mix of their own on-premise data centres (37%), together with private space in third party data centres (28%), and a growing use of public cloud (33.5%).
On average, 35% of organisational workloads in enterprises are stored within public cloud, with 27% held in private cloud. While this means more than 60% of workloads are now cloud-based, 38% are still stored on-premise, suggesting that enterprises still tend to favour traditional or hybrid approaches.
Other key findings include a third of enterprises (33%) now have a fully formed digital transformation strategy in place, with 44% in the process of implementing one.
This puts enterprise ahead of the overall market, where 28% have a full strategy in place and 54% are getting started.
Almost all organisations at least have plans to introduce such a strategy over the course of the next two years, which underlines how integral digital transformation has become, the study states.
New technology projects such as AI are the most widely named priority IT project, cited by 58% of enterprise respondents. This is followed by infrastructure management (53%), networking (47%) and migration (41%).
Almost all respondents (98%) see cloud as being an important part of their enterprise’s digital transformation strategy, with almost a third (30%) seeing it as critical and 58% considering it very important.
Here, the study shows enterprise is ahead of the overall market in terms of cloud maturity, as only 22% of overall respondents describe cloud as critical, and 60% consider it very important.
BT general manager of managed services and public cloud David Simpkins says, “Digital transformation is now commonplace but it’s clear that many businesses are facing significant challenges in finding the specialist skills and adequate resources to create and manage the right hybrid infrastructure for their digital business.
“Whilst public cloud is attractive and fast-growing, private cloud is still the right choice for many organisations that have rigorous application performance requirements, legacy applications unsuited to public cloud or which operate in a highly regulated environment.
“Managing hybrid cloud can be complex but with an explosion in data traffic, rising customer expectations, new competitors emerging and cost pressures intensifying, companies cannot risk delays to their business transformation.”
CIF CEO Alex Hilton says, “The Cloud continues to be a great enabler, both in the way it is being currently used and in its potential to define the future of digital transformation.
“Enterprises are fully aware of its importance, with more and more now seeing it as integral to the smooth running of the business. A crucial next step is for cloud providers is to take note of what organisations are looking for in terms of cloud expertise and support, and ensure that these demands are met.”

Latest Jobs
-
- Identity Channel Partner Manager | London
- London
- N/A
-
Identity Channel Partner Manager | London Location: South East UK (commutable to London) We are working with a Cyber Security business who are looking for a Channel Partner Manager to drive and grow relationships across their identity ecosystem. Prior experience working within VARs, distributors, vendors or resellers in the identity space is essential. You must have experience working with technologies such as CyberArk, Sailpoint, Okta etc Responsibilities will include, but not be limited to: Build, maintain and develop strong relationships with channel partners. Work closely with partner sales teams to support growth drive sales opportunities. Identify and onboard new partners while strengthening existing partnerships. Act as the key point of contact for all channel-related activity. If you are an experienced channel professional, with experience in the Identity space and are ready for your next challenge, apply today.
-
- Service Architect- DACH regions
- Germany
- Upto €110,000 plus bonus and benefits
-
Lead Service Architect with the authority and experience to take control of complex, multi-million-euro outsourcing bids. This role is about leading the Service/ solutioning effort, bringing structure to chaos, and driving the entire bid team to deliver winning proposals. The company area a global managed services business working with enterprise and public sector clients, across Cloud, End-User Computing, Digital Workplace, Service Desk, and Network Infrastructure. What You’ll Do: Lead Service/ solution design from qualification to contract. Control bid teams — architects, pricing, delivery, and SMEs. Break down RFPs/RFIs into actionable, costed, client-ready solutions. Present internally and to clients at decision-maker level. Run solution workshops, own the architecture, and shape the financial model. You’ll Need: Experience working as a Service architect, Service Manager or Customer Success Manager R Gravitas to lead and drive teams through high-stakes bids. Deep knowledge of managed services delivery and commercial models. Strong technical grasp: Cloud, Security, EUC, Unified Comms, Service Desk, and more. Experience leading deals across onshore, offshore, and hybrid delivery models.
-
- Deal Architect- DACH region
- Germany
- Upto €110,000 plus bonus and benefits
-
Lead Deal Architect with the authority and experience to take control of complex, multi-million-euro outsourcing bids. This role is about leading the solutioning/ Service effort, bringing structure to chaos, and driving the entire bid team to deliver winning proposals. The company is a global managed services business providing solutions to enterprise and public sector clients, across Cloud, End-User Computing, Digital Workplace, Service Desk, and Network Infrastructure. What You’ll Do: Lead the deal from qualification to contract. Control bid teams — architects, pricing, delivery, and SMEs. Break down RFPs/RFIs into actionable, costed, client-ready solutions. Present internally and to clients at decision-maker level. Run solution workshops, own the architecture, and shape the financial model. Be responsible for the service Wrap and ensuring the Service meets clients requirements You’ll Need: A back ground with IT Services Experience in a similar type of role, for example: Deal, Service, or Solution Architect in ICT outsourcing. Gravitas to lead and drive teams through high-stakes bids. Deep knowledge of managed services delivery and commercial models. Strong technical knowledge: Cloud, Security, EUC, Unified Comms, Service Desk, and more. Experience leading deals across onshore, offshore, and hybrid delivery models.
-
- Pre Sales Lead- IT Services
- Germany
- Upto €100,000 plus benefits
-
As the Pre-Sales Lead (Sales Engineer/ Solution Architect) you will drive large-scale ICT managed services and outsourcing deals (from €0.5M to €20M+). You'll work directly with Business Development and clients to design high-impact solutions across Cloud (Azure, IaaS, SaaS, PaaS), EUC, Unified Comms, Security (SIEM, PAM), Networks, and Smart Workplaces. What You’ll Do: Lead the end-to-end pre-sales cycle — from RFI/RFP to contract. Design innovative, client-specific solutions with technical & commercial impact. Present at CxO level and steer proposal strategies & financial models. Collaborate closely with Portfolio, Service Desk, Field, and Digital Workplace teams. Support deal shaping with strong knowledge of ITIL, SIAM, Automation, and cost analysis. What You’ll Bring: Have strong experience in pre-sales or solution architecture. Experience with €M+ managed service deals. Deep technical expertise in modern ICT stack and enterprise IT services. Strong German (C1) and English communication skills. Certifications: ITIL v3/v4 required; SIAM, ISO20000 desirable.