It’s fair to say that in recent years we’ve experienced a significant amount of change in the UK. First: Brexit. Next: a global health pandemic. Add in the cost-of-living crisis for good measure, as well as larger global issues, and you have what can only be described as an extended period of insecurity and instability. This situation can also be described with one word: permacrisis.

To get a better understanding of how permacrisis has impacted organisations and their IT teams, 8x8 surveyed over 550 IT decision makers of UK businesses with over 500 employees. We wanted to understand the nature of permacrisis, how it has influenced businesses and what tools can help with building resilience and coping with new challenges.

This is the first in the series where we break down our findings, focusing on the impact of permacrisis, the need for change, how to deal with future challenges and the role communications technology can play.

From change to crisis

Change is expected and perhaps one of the only constants of day-to-day life. People change, companies change, societies change, and what consumers want (and need) changes. It’s something, for the most part, that we’re comfortable with.

However, in recent years we’ve experienced the opposite, and it feels like we’ve been hopping from one crisis to the next. From political uncertainty to climate breakdown and economic instability, it’s a lot to take in. In fact, we’ve experienced so much change in recent years that in 2022, permacrisis was one of the words of the year!

An important thing to note about permacrisis is that this sense of uncertainty and instability doesn’t just happen in a vacuum external to us. It permeates our everyday lives, our homes, our institutions, our workplaces and businesses.

As a result, businesses have been forced to adapt to significant amounts of change and our expectations as customers and employees have shifted along the way. Businesses have needed to reshape how they work to retain and attract staff, and digital technology has played a fundamental role in enabling organisations to adapt and show resilience.

The impact of permacrisis

Almost all organisations agreed that they had been impacted by extended periods of instability, highlighting the universal experience felt across the UK. The top three issues leading to instability and uncertainty in businesses were high inflation, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Brexit.

What’s more, on top of external crises, businesses have been faced with internal issues that have fed into the sense of instability such as cyberattacks, financial strains, and increased competition.

Unsurprisingly, this situation of consistent challenges has led to a feeling of crisis fatigue among businesses, particularly those with employees on the front line or in customer-facing sectors.

The need for change

If permacrisis has revealed one thing, it’s that businesses need to be agile to be able to deal with new circumstances and challenges.

After a wave of crises from different angles, businesses have been driven to look for new answers. Many are turning to digital technology to deal with change, reduce crisis fatigue, and build resilience for the future.

The majority of respondents told us that macro issues, like inflation, Brexit and the pandemic, were accelerating their organisation’s digital transformation plans. Tools like remote communications platforms to assist remote collaboration, and AI and automation to streamline operations were highlighted as having grown in response to permacrisis.

Addressing future permacrisis

Even once we’re through this current permacrisis, it’s not unlikely that an extended period of instability will occur again later down the line. It’s therefore fundamental that businesses have the tools and strategies in place to adapt.

Organisations may not be able to predict future challenges, but they can do their best to prepare. Our research revealed a strong degree of optimism from respondents. Most organisations felt they were able to ride the waves of permacrisis, successfully adapt their operations and bounce back.

Experiencing permacrisis has also taught businesses some valuable lessons. Many organisations now have crisis management plans in place and are actively implementing technological changes to become more future-proof. In particular, businesses are turning to innovative communications technology to facilitate flexibility and collaboration, improve staff well-being and automate processes.

The supporting role of cloud communications

If permacrisis persists or we experience another prolonged set of challenges in the future, we need to have the communications systems in place that can overcome instability and uncertainty without adding burden to IT teams.

From our research, it’s evident organisations are looking to cloud communications technology to adapt to big changes, prepare for future challenges, and improve customer experiences and employee engagement. A key part of the solution is leveraging a communications platform that will take you into the future, reliably and ready for any new challenges that may arise.

A strong communications system as part of digital transformation modernisation isn’t the be-all-end-all for dealing with these issues, but having a modern, resilient system in place can help make for smoother and easier engagement for staff and customers.

Download the Permacrisis Report.