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10 Strategic Data and Analytics Predictions Through 2028

May 22, 2023

Contributor: Lori Perri

Use them in your strategic vision and delivery planning.

The importance of data and analytics continues to grow across an ever-broadening range of business initiatives, as does the use of technology to support their delivery. Our extensive annual list of D&A predictions can serve as strategic planning assumptions to help you integrate D&A strategy into your digital business roadmap.

“Digital business provides organizations with nearly unlimited possibilities to create business value,” says Gartner Senior Director Analyst Sarah James. “Increasingly, data and analytics has become a primary driver of business success, and the potential for data-driven business strategies is greater than ever, with further acceleration of digital transformation and data-driven business.”

Actionable D&A advice for the future

Strategic planning assumptions help you identify, understand and plan for technology-enabled change, and the resultant business and human impacts. Also use them to spot potential disruption. During the next few years, for example, most enterprises will strive to become more data-centric in a way that drives real business value. 

In all, we produced more than 100 data-and-analytics-related strategic planning assumptions through 2028. They fall into four categories, relating to the future of: 

  • Core data and analytics 

  • IT leadership  

  • D&A in digital business functions 

  • D&A in industry verticals

Here are 10 predictions that illustrate the degree to which D&A is pervading value creation in a wide range of digital initiatives — and the need to prepare accordingly.

No. 1: By 2026, more than a quarter of Fortune 500 chief data and analytics officers (CDAOs) will have become responsible for at least one top-earning product that is based on data and analytics.

CDAOs are the primary leaders for data and analytics, and must be able to prove successful outcomes to their key business stakeholders.Thriving CDAOs can grow in their position and make a positive impact on the performance of the organization.

No. 2: Through 2026, more than $10 billion will have been invested in AI startups that rely on foundation models (large AI models trained on huge amounts of data).

AI will greatly impact technology products and all aspects of product management. Product and offering managers must take an in-depth look at how AI can help them work toward improving their value proposition now.

No. 3: By 2026, 75% of organizations will adopt a digital transformation model predicated on cloud as the fundamental underlying platform.

Cloud computing has exceeded all expectations and evolved tremendously in its delivery of services. Operation leaders are tasked with supporting digital transformation and faster innovation of  business applications.

No. 4: By 2027, generative design AI tools will automate 70% of the design effort for new web and mobile apps.

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No. 5: By 2027, organizations that promote digital dexterity enablement for both managers and employees will have stronger revenue growth year over year than those who have not.

No. 6: By 2025, 80% of all K-12/primary-secondary education organizations will be leveraging some type of analytics applications designed specifically for K-12 to speed insight.

Education institutions continue to improve and refine long-term strategies. Education CIOs must use these predictions in order to accelerate digital transformation and long-term institutional success.

No. 7: By 2026, more than 75% of governments will gauge digital transformation success by measuring the enduring mission impact.

Governments have increased digital investments in response to what is going on in the world. CIOs can help their organizations accomplish their goals while dealing with technical debt, talent and resource shortages, and service delivery demands.

No. 8: By 2026, 20% of healthcare providers will have shifted away from patient portals tethered to the electronic health record (EHR) in favor of digital front-door solutions for their primary method of digital patient engagement.

Healthcare-provider CIOs must defend against potential risks and take advantage of new business opportunities by delivering a seamless digital experience. Care is moving in a new direction for consumers and patients with innovative engagement opportunities, due to advancing technologies and modernized vendor solutions.

No. 9: By 2026, more than 60% of retail pharmacies will conduct clinical research, helping to support life science trial diversity requirements.

The new era for life sciences is dominated by economic pressures, outside disruptors challenging existing business models, and the merging of advanced technology and scientific innovation. CIOs can use these predictions to understand how the industry can be shaped by these changes.

No. 10: By 2026, all the top 20 cloud platform and SaaS providers will offer component marketplaces to enable customers’ composable strategies, differentiating by quality, convenience and security.

Successful product marketers will need to shift focus to strategies and technologies that drive effective and efficient growth. To support growing innovation and change, businesses will prioritize modular applications that deliver their functionality as application programming interface (API)/event-first business components. Technology and service providers will modernize their offerings to support composable application architecture.

Sarah James is a Senior Director Analyst with Gartner. Her research primarily focuses on topics at the intersection of data and human behavior.

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