Inflation and talent shortage slow down Belgian IT projects

A lack of suitable staff and inflation are slowing down IT projects in Belgian companies.

Inflation has a clear impact on Belgian companies, although the impact varies widely. 60 percent of companies with 200 or more employees say that inflation plays a role in their IT strategy.

For 49 percent, this means that IT projects are being postponed or even canceled. 11 percent want to realize more projects and 18 percent hope to save money by accelerating existing projects. Both “more and faster” and “less and slower” are therefore popular strategies to mitigate the impact of inflation on large Belgian companies.

staff shortage

The impact of a lack of staff with the right talent is clearer. There is a shortage in the labor market and the effects are the same almost everywhere. 80 percent of Belgian companies are forced to postpone IT projects.

Companies are looking for solutions. Two strategies come to the fore. 34 percent believe in the efficiency of their own employees and qualify them better for vacancies through training.

Another 34 percent want to use the existing staff more efficiently. In other words: The trend towards automation also plays an important role in Belgium. Priority is given to IT projects that relieve employees of repetitive tasks.

Decelerating duet

Belgian companies generally show resilience, but it is clear that the digitization of our large companies faces challenges. Both inflation and staff shortages are playing a delaying role. According to the National Bank’s forecasts, inflation will continue for a while but will decrease. A short-term solution to the staff shortage is not in sight.

The figures come from a large market survey by the industry organization Beltug. 1,200 companies were surveyed, including 197 large companies with 200 or more employees. The figures mainly relate to these large companies and thus paint a beautiful and unique picture of the trends in the Belgian market.