Executive summary

We’ve entered an era of profound disruption where generative AI offers businesses an unprecedented chance to accelerate their reinvention and achieve new performance levels, surpassing past achievements. Generative AI, led by innovations like ChatGPT, emerged prominently in 2023. According to our research, 8% of companies, identified as the Reinventors, are transforming every aspect of their business by significantly investing in their digital core technology capabilities.

The immense potential of generative AI to reshape business operations is widely recognized, with 83% of companies now accelerating their reinvention efforts. However, expectations for generative AI often outpace the current capabilities of their digital cores. Our latest research reveals that while 50% of executives believe they can scale generative AI across their enterprise within six to 12 months, only 13% are “extremely confident” in their data strategies and core digital capabilities to effectively leverage this technology.

This strategic pivot towards continuous reinvention, driven by the generative AI revolution, highlights an urgent need for a robust digital core that enhances the synergy between machines, humans, and their interactions in transformative ways. Companies are now grappling with how generative AI will redefine their business and how to embed this groundbreaking technology into their digital core to drive real change, fostering reinvention at every level.

Accenture introduced the term “digital core” in 2022 after identifying and testing the critical technologies necessary to fuel a reinvention strategy, based on global surveys and experiences with thousands of clients striving to set new performance benchmarks. The digital core comprises three interconnected technology groups: digital platforms, data and AI, and the digital foundation, which includes composable integration, cloud-first infrastructure, a continuum control plane, and security.

Without a digital core designed for both machines and humans, companies will struggle to unlock the full value that generative AI can offer across an organization. Generative AI demands new capabilities from the digital core, including centralized accessibility, purpose-driven classification, and enhanced security. AI agents are already creating new workflows and processes, but companies must ensure all systems—not just AI—are interconnected, with automated data maintenance. This involves developing new data environments that leverage unstructured and synthetic data, and cloud solutions that power generative AI-led, self-servicing functions and operations.

Generative AI is reshaping how the digital core must be constructed, moving from isolated systems to interoperable ones that interact programmatically with minimal human involvement. We call this “reinvention readiness”—a continuous state of supporting current business efficiency while being flexible enough to respond to new organizational needs and quickly adopting the latest technological innovations. This readiness extends beyond generative AI, adapting to future technological advancements. A well-developed digital core is essential for any high-growth organization, much like a healthy heart is crucial for an agile human body.

Rebuilding such a digital core doesn’t mean starting from scratch and abandoning existing systems. Our research of 1,500 global companies shows that achieving reinvention readiness is possible by focusing on three key principles to build a digital core that supports continuous reinvention.

Continue reading to discover how to reinvent your digital core and download our comprehensive report to stay ahead in the era of generative AI.

The Table of Contents of “Reinventing with a Digital Core” Report:

• Executive summary
• The technology bedrock your business needs
• What does it take to become reinvention-ready?
• Path toward Reinvention Readiness

Number of Pages:

• 39 pages

Pricing: 

• Free

Methodology

The survey of 1,500 global C-Level IT executives was completed in November 2023. The aim was to collect data on:

1. State of their tech stack and maturity of key components of the digital core: digital platforms, data and AI backbone, and digital foundation (cloud-first infrastructure, continuum control plane, security, and composable integration).
2. Business landscape, including business structure and transformation; reinvention strategy; and business functions transformation.
3. Financial and operational performance via multiple measures.