"Since our last study in 2018, organizations have had to navigate a new reality with a faster pace of change and greater uncertainty than ever before," said Anders Fundin, Research Director at SIQ. "That's why we conducted this study - to identify the most pressing challenges today and prepare organizations for a sustainable future."

The report clearly shows that skills shortages remain a challenge in both the short and long term.

"Skills supply is an issue raised by both the private and public sectors," explains Anders Fundin. "What is exciting about this year's study is that it applies to both the here and now as well as the long term. We need to be able to find the right skills for today, but also retain and develop for the future to remain relevant and competitive."

AI and digitalization are identified as another crucial future issue, but applications differ across sectors.

"For the public sector, it's often about managing digitization and avoiding digital exclusion, while the private sector focuses more on integrating AI into the business on a broad front," says Anders Fundin. "Our research together with the Swedish Quality Index shows that only one in three managers believe their organization has a clear AI strategy - a gap that makes this a national issue, not just a challenge for individual businesses. Sweden is falling behind in global rankings when it comes to AI-related issues, and it takes more than seeing AI as a tool to replace customer service and similar functions.

Another key finding of the report is that the ability of organizations to understand and meet the needs of customers and stakeholders has been a priority challenge since the first study in 2012.

Understanding the people we serve is a challenge that remains relevant in a world where societal challenges are many and the pace of change is high," says Anders Fundin. "The fact that this still ranks in the top ten challenges for both the private and public sector is a positive sign - it shows that organizations have their stakeholders at heart. At the same time, according to research from EPSI, we know that needs, demands and expectations are changing ever more rapidly, making it crucial for organizations to keep the evolving needs of the customer in constant focus.

The report is being launched during World Quality Week and is available for download at siq. The report also presents an in-depth analysis of the differences in the main challenges that organizations in different sectors are expected to face in 10 years' time - a valuable guide for long-term planning.

For more information or interview requests, please contact:

Anders Fundin
Research leader, SIQ - Institute for Quality Development
Professor, Mälardalen University
E-mail: anders.fundin@siq.se
Phone: 070-123 45 67

SQMA, initiated by SIQ in 2012, is a growing network of eleven universities with research in quality and business development: Chalmers University of Technology, University West, Jönköping University, Karlstad University, Royal Institute of Technology, Linköping University, Luleå University of Technology, Lund University, Mid Sweden University, Mälardalen University, Uppsala University.

SIQ - The Institute for Quality Development is an independent foundation and research institute, established by the government. SIQ:s mission is to stimulate and contribute to a positive quality development in all parts of Swedish society by creating, collecting and disseminating knowledge for a long-term and sustainable development work.

Stockholm, November 11, 2024