• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, March 1, 2017

About half of decision makers at companies are knowledgeable enough to address specific user needs across all platforms, but few know the steps that will lead their brands to success. Only 44% of respondents to a study released Wednesday have two- to five-year goals that are measurable and give direction, and 39% of respondents have one-year goals that are measurable and give direction.

The study -- Executing Digital Transformation, conducted by PointSource -- aggregates responses from about 300 marketing, IT and operations professionals. The survey asked them to name common digital hurdles and how they believe their organization can overcome them.

The biggest challenge is that organizations fail to align internal goals with external demands. Some 36% say they always prioritize SMART (strategic, measurable, achievable, realistic and time stamped) goals based on the level of impact to end users, but the organizations seem to lack data-driven insight about their key audiences.

One in five respondents, or 21%, believe their organization does not do enough in-person research to understand its audiences, and only 32% are extremely confident that their data reporting leads to a greater understanding of their users. 

Another major challenge is the lack of resources and budgets. About three-quarters of respondents say their department competes with other departments in their organization for the same resources or budgets.

While overcoming these challenges may seem daunting, it requires the correct framework and road map to set the stage. Marketers need to set goals to achieve and create digital experiences. 

The research reveals that marketers and IT professionals recognize the value of digital experiences -- but not all know how to get there.

Those who are spearheading projects are often not confident in their visions for the future, and integrating cross-channel digital experiences is a weak point, according to the study. Although 44% of respondents say they are extremely confident in their organization’s ability to achieve its vision for growth, 4% are not confident at all. And just 51% of respondents say their organization addresses specific user needs across all platforms.

The demand for change appears to outpace technological capabilities, with 84% admitting their organization has disparate legacy systems that impact the speed of development of new digital experiences.

There is one more data point that marketers should consider. Ninety-seven percent of organizations have key performance indicators in place, either departmental or company-wide, but only 53% require monthly or more frequent reporting, which makes setting goals a challenge.