At the start of 2020, no business could have predicted that we’d experience a global pandemic. Whilst this has led businesses to focus on short-term priorities such as financial stability, they’re now starting to look at other actions to secure their future.

They're investing in digital transformation to support remote working and improve customer experiences. They're also supporting each other, both inside and outside their organisations - for instance by purchasing more from local suppliers. And they're starting to adapt to new business practices, as well as flexible working.

Our report found that 'future ready' businesses were much better prepared to adapt to the challenges of COVID-19 and are coping well enough to focus on thriving, not just surviving.

Customers today prefer to buy from and work with socially responsible companies.

With the public becoming more vocal on social issues such as climate change and with regulation increasing, businesses of all sizes and sectors are adding sustainability to all parts of their processes - from what they do with the waste they produce, to how they can minimise energy consumption.

Communication networks and digital tools can allow companies to work in different ways, use fewer resources and, with the right data and IoT, create more sustainable services and business models.