The New, Unstable Normal Roundtable: How COVID-19 Will Change Business And Technology Forever

The lasting impact of COVID-19 and the high likelihood of future pandemics will usher in five macro shifts that will fundamentally change business and technology: 1) Customer expectations will shift on the spectrum of safety and convenience; 2) businesses will ride the digital engagement wave to create hybrid experiences; 3) firms and governments will invest in the once-impossible to drive the future of work; 4) smart firms will retire technical debt fast and then ride the tech disruption wave; and 5) business resiliency will become a competitive advantage. In this webinar, join Forrester analysts Laura Koetzle, Martin Gill, and Martha Bennett as we discuss each of these macro shifts and take live questions.

Key takeaways:

• Even with a vaccine, we will have to live with COVID-19 for years. Governments, businesses, and other organizations will have to rethink the design of everything — from products to the layout of offices — to limit virus spread and promote health and safety.
• Some changes in consumer behavior and business models will be temporary after the initial pandemic crisis subsides, but many will be permanent.
• Changes in business, technology, and society will play out over three time periods: 1) the short term focuses on the next 18 to 24 months; 2) the medium term covers the changes we expect in years 2 through 5; and 3) the long term highlights the expected changes in year 5 and beyond.
• The organizations that plan and adapt not just for the short term but also for the medium and long term will be able to turn today’s crisis into a catalyst to achieve inimitable differentiation.

Target audience level: intermediate and advanced