Tech Vision 2019 - Consumer Goods

INNOVATION UNBOUND CONSUMER GOODS & SERVICES TECHNOLOGY VISION 2019

Brand new world We are entering a world where whatever consumers want is communicated instantly and gratification is expected immediately. It’s a world where: • A company’s ability to achieve hyper-personalization and on- demand delivery are as important as the product it produces. • The ability to meet each consumer’s needs at a specific moment in time is the new marker of competitive advantage. • New technologies open up previously unimaginable opportunities for product and business model innovation.

Innovation today CG&S innovation has historically taken two main forms. • Companies establish innovation arms to develop new products and penetrate new markets. • Companies acquire brands to access innovation and new business models.

Innovation in the New, now Today, a new set of technologies —Distributed Ledgers, Artificial Intelligence, Extended Reality and Quantum Computing (or DARQ)— are pushing innovation to new limits.

Three trends are fueling the next wave of innovation and growth.

TREND 1 The rise of the human+ worker CG&S workforces can now use technology to improve their human capabilities—particularly in the areas of critical reasoning and decision-making.

Underpinning this new human+ capacity is data and, by extension, the tools and analytics that convert data into meaningful and actionable insights and innovations. New approaches to data management and new tools change how employees spend their time. AI systems and machine learning provide sales teams with recommended next-step actions when interacting with customers and, increasingly, directly with consumers. Data analytics optimize routes and schedules, thereby freeing one day a week for sales teams to focus on what they do best: selling. Big data analytics optimize time spent on marketing, assortment planning and sales forecasting by bringing together information from large, integrated data sets.

TREND 2 The emergence of “momentary markets”

On-demand and hyper-personalized, hyper- relevant products and offerings are on the horizon. Sooner rather than later, consumers will expect every CG&S organization to offer both. Some companies have already made the move. of industry executives agree that % the integration of customization 87 and real-time delivery is the next big wave of competitive advantage.

TREND 3 The evolution of Markets of One

Before CG&S companies can create the in-the-moment, just-in-time products and services consumers crave, they have to know the opportunity exists. That means identifying consumer needs before their competitors do—and potentially before consumers themselves do. Technology-driven interactions are increasingly important sources of information about the next generation of consumers. of CG&S executives believe digital 85% demographics will give them a new way to identify market opportunities for unmet consumer needs.

Seizing the new innovation opportunities CG&S companies are poised to take advantage of new innovations that will redefine how they engage and serve their customers. We advocate they focus on three things to prepare for what comes next. STEP INTO THE DARQ BUILD THE HUMAN+ WORKFORCE SECURE US TO SECURE ME

Step into the DARQ Future-minded leaders know they will need every digital tool in their current arsenal, as well as new ones. The vast majority of CG&S companies are ready to embrace DARQ technologies. This is good news, since a culture of experimentation will be key to achieving innovation breakthroughs in the coming years.

Among our survey respondents, AI is thought to hold the greatest potential in terms of industry impact over the next three years. That explains why so many companies are deploying AI solutions to transform everything from operational efficiencies to consumer experiences. But Distributed Ledgers and Extended Reality are also pushing innovation in new areas. 88% of CG&S companies are already experimenting with DARQ technologies. % believe the combination of the DARQ 70 technologies will transform their business over the next 3 years.

Questions to ask… Is your digital foundation ready for DARQ? How can you use DARQ to shape the future of CG&S? How will you identify and access the DARQ technologies that are relevant for your business? What should you do first?

Build the human+ workforce CG&S companies have the chance to use the inherent strengths of their people and intelligent technologies to create a powerful advantage. The same technologies that augment workers’ skills and experiences are also driving changes to organizational roles and workforce strategies.

Leading CG&S companies recognize that next- generation growth requires next-generation workforce models that: • Integrate employees, machines and freelancers. • Attract on-demand workers from flexible talent pools. • Make lifelong learning opportunities available to all employees. • Free people to focus on innovation and delighting consumers. % of CG&S executives believe the majority 39 of their workforce will move into new roles in the next three years. believe that increased employee velocity has 79% increased the demand for reskilling and retraining.

Questions to ask… Is your approach to talent-finding and acquisition ready for the next wave of innovation that is needed in the industry? How are you industrializing workers’ transitions between roles and enabling them with new skills?

Secure us to secure me The future of the CG&S industry will be characterized by partnerships and collaborations among multiple players that deliver more and better products and services collectively than any one participant could deliver on its own.

Opportunities abound for CG&S companies to establish or join ecosystems that spark joint product development and enable the sharing of ideas, data and innovations. Companies need to carefully consider the roles they can play. They must choose their partners wisely. And given that new ecosystem services will be based on extensive data sharing among participants, they must squarely focus on securing those ecosystems. of CG&S executives believe they need to % rethink security to protect not just themselves, 90 but their ecosystems. Yet, only 27 percent truly know that their ecosystem partners take security as seriously as they do.

Questions to ask… How are ecosystems changing your risk exposure? Is your organization considering the security implications of ecosystem participation?

The road ahead We’re entering a new era for CG&S. It’s an era of massive consumer expectations. Of unparalleled innovations and momentary markets. An era characterized by the creative uses of new technologies to transform everything from consumer experiences to workforce productivity and operational excellence. Forward-thinking companies are setting their course to the new reality today. Where will you go? Are you ready for what’s next?

About the research Each year, the Accenture Technology Vision team partners with Accenture Research to pinpoint the emerging IT developments that will have the greatest impact on organizations in the coming years. In 2019, the process included a global survey of 6,672 business and IT leaders—including 602 CG&S executives in 26 countries. This report’s findings are based on analyses of their responses. Read the report: Innovation Unbound – CG&S Technology Vision 2019