At the beginning of the year, the conversation I would most likely have with CEOs revolved around talent. Chiefly, tackling the skills shortage and employee wellbeing. Now, at the half-way point in the year, there is another topic keeping them up at night: inflation.

Indeed, according to Fortune’s latest CEO survey, inflation is THE biggest issue that threatens CEOs business strategies in 2022.

82% of CEOs highlight inflation as a disruptive factor, ahead of “labor/skills shortage” on 59% and “geopolitical instability” on 49%.

This chimes with the conversations we are having with customers, who are doubling down on their ability to better understand what is going on inside and outside their business.

For global companies, inflation means uncertainty. So, having the ability to forecast more accurately and quickly is key. Those companies who introduced these tools during the pandemic are in a strong position to survive and thrive during this inflationary period.

Another area companies can leverage is intelligent sourcing. Predictive analytics can help forecast demand as well as supply shortages and price increases in materials in real time. Businesses which have the ability to buy at the ‘right’ price at the ‘right’ time have a massive advantage.

Again, I see those businesses who got in on the ground floor of intelligent sourcing having a huge advantage over the competition.

Reading the article on Fortune, I noted that CEOs generally have a positive outlook of their own business performance, certainly compared to how they see the economy working out.

Perhaps that’s a bit of positivity bias creeping in, or maybe a number of them are confident of their digital transformation initiatives over the past 3 years? Time will tell!

You can read the Fortune article here https://fortune.com/2022/06/23..../ceos-are-still-bull

and please me know your perspectives in the comments below…

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