Three competitive advantages—technology, trust, and supply security—separate top performers from the rest as industries reconfigure and value is set in motion.
An exclusive group of organisations is primed to unlock substantial value in the next year—what will you do to join them?
Our new research shows AU$11.1 trillion (US$7.1 trillion) in global value is up for grabs in the next 12 months as industries reconfigure into deeper, vaster pools of value flowing across industry boundaries. PwC research indicates top 20% of organisations achieve more than 13 times the performance premium of their peers—mostly because they’ve fine-tuned their business, operating, and technology models. The calculation is stark: these top performers could capture outsized rewards as trillions of dollars are set in motion.
To join this elite group, we’ve identified three sources of competitive advantage that separate winners from the rest: technology, trust, and supply security.
One Lead on Technology
PwC’s Value in Motion research shows AI could increase global economic output by 15% in the next decade. Efficiency gains from AI are substantial—but they’re not enough to cement lasting competitive advantage.
What separates top performers is the transformative use of AI to reinvent operating models.
Leading companies achieve radical, lasting wins by using AI to innovate at scale and reimagine operations. They make comprehensive, mutually reinforcing investments in technology—full cloud-native adoption, complete data modernisation, and elimination of legacy IT systems—rather than ad hoc upgrades. They leverage AI-powered ecosystems and alliances to capture disproportionate value. And they use managed service providers (MSPs) strategically, achieving a staggering 43% performance premium over those using MSPs simply to cut costs.
As CEO, ask yourself: How are we leveraging our current MSP relationships? Are we leaving value on the table?
Two Lead on trust
Each customer experience is a referendum on trust. Still, some organisations haven’t got the memo. Most executives say customer expectations are outpacing their organisation’s ability to adapt.
That gap is where trust erodes.
Trust will prove even more crucial in the decade ahead. Consider the digital trust your organisation will need to seize the potential of AI or to collaborate with ecosystem partners.
As CEO, ask yourself: How can we earn a reputation for integrity, reliability, and security across three pillars: performance trust, accountability trust, and digital trust? This is the bedrock of your business’ ability to reinvent itself.
Three Lead on supply security
Supply chain vulnerability is now business as usual as climate risk, geopolitics, and other megatrends converge to create a perfect storm of scarcity. Climate risk alone has tangible, mappable business consequences. For example, PwC research into nine critical commodities found that heat stress and drought threaten them all.
Your organisation is flying blind if you can’t immediately pinpoint where your products, suppliers, and operations are physically vulnerable. It’s not about delivery delays; it’s about product viability and business continuity.
Winning organisations recognise the need for ecosystems. No company can control everything it needs, and the outdated ‘build versus buy’ question has a new answer: collaborate. Secure strategic supply via partnerships or vertical moves and leverage AI to reduce ecosystem friction and streamline partner interactions.
As CEO, ask yourself: Do we know what could interrupt our supply chains and potentially break our business? Proactive supply chain assessment is cheaper and easier than reactive crisis management.
The AU$11 trillion opportunity
Organisations that act decisively on technology, trust, and supply security will capture the lion’s share of value in the next 12 months. There’s still a chance to join them, but only if your organisation moves fast.
