C-suite agenda seeks growth and innovation in balance with cost control and efficiency

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Sep 24, 2024, 06:30 ET

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CGI global research also reveals that AI rises in priority to accelerate outcomes, while digital leader advantages widen

MONTRÉAL, Sept. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, released its annual global proprietary research, which analyzes findings from more than 1,800 in-person interviews with business and technology executives, of which 80% are C-level. This year's research across 21 economic sectors reveals three key takeaways:

Rebalancing cost savings with revenue growth: As clients shift to a renewed focus on revenue growth, they cite the need to drive innovation, introduce new products and services, and improve the customer and citizen experience, while also achieving modernization, optimization and cost control.
Closer business and IT alignment: The alignment between business and IT operations to execute a shared strategy is at its highest level. CGI sees the primary drivers for this as a combination of business efficiency focus and the use of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), to drive business outcomes.
Increasing advantages for digital leaders: Digital leaders (those producing expected results from their digital strategies) are widening the gap in achieving desired outcomes compared to those building and launching their strategies. For example, digital leaders are more successful in expanding their data strategies, modernizing legacy systems, driving business model agility, using managed services, and implementing advanced technologies, including AI.

"This resurgence in growth as a priority, along with a continued focus on cost savings through efficiencies, is well aligned to CGI's end-to-end services and solutions and our focus on delivering tangible business outcomes," said Jean-Michel Baticle, President & Chief Operating Officer, CGI. "We expect the dual agenda of growth and efficiencies to drive new opportunities to help clients evolve their business models, apply innovation, and accelerate a shared business and IT agenda to achieve ROI-led digital transformation."

As executives pursue this dual agenda, they are increasingly looking to AI. Across industries, CGI's research reveals that 26% are implementing traditional AI—up 10 percentage points year-over-year—and 79% are investigating or conducting proofs of concept for generative AI. AI also tops clients' innovation investment priorities over the next three years. Further, executives are deepening their focus on data because of AI.

"AI presents a paradigm shift that we haven't seen since the adoption of the Internet," said Dr. Diane Gutiw, Vice President, Global AI Research Lead at CGI. "As CGI's global research demonstrates, industry executives are pursuing AI to evolve entire business models, inform critical decisions, increase efficiency, and accelerate both savings and growth."

For additional global insights from the CGI Voice of Our Clients (VOC), as well as industry-specific insights, visit cgi.com.

About CGI Voice of Our Clients
Annually, CGI leaders around the world conduct in-depth interviews with business and IT executives on a range of strategic topics affecting their enterprises. The resulting industry insights—including the attributes of digital leaders—lead to actions that help clients better serve their customers and citizens. This year, CGI interviewed more than 1,800 executives, a majority of whom are C-level, across the industries and geographies the company serves. These in-depth discussions covered topics such as digitization, business agility, innovation, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, sustainability, change management and more. Over the past five years, one million data points have been collected through this research for trending and comparison purposes. Learn more at cgi.com/voice-of-our-clients.

About CGI
Founded in 1976, CGI is among the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world. With 90,000 consultants and professionals across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. CGI works with clients through a local relationship model complemented by a global delivery network that helps clients digitally transform their organizations and accelerate results. CGI Fiscal 2023 reported revenue is CA$14.30 billion and CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB). Learn more at cgi.com.

SOURCE CGI Inc.