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Business resiliency gaps wider than anticipated, study reveals

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New data collected from SAS’ resiliency assessment tool identifies speed and agility as executives’ biggest resiliency challenges

CARY, N.C., Nov. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Executives across industries are aware their organizations are not as resilient as they need to be, citing speed and agility as the biggest issue, followed closely by challenges in creating a culture of data literacy. These are among the new findings from AI and analytics leader SAS’ resiliency assessment tool, an online instrument enabling business leaders to appraise their companies’ resiliency. Participants also demonstrated that, while a “resiliency gap” may still exist in their organizations, many are taking steps to close it.  

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here:  https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8827855-sas-resiliency-rules-report/

Earlier this year, SAS published its global Resiliency Rules report, which analyzed the current state of business resiliency and what steps companies in industries like financial services, retail, manufacturing, health care and government are taking to navigate change and seize opportunity. Since the report was released in March, SAS has collected data from the resilience assessment tool to capture companies’ resiliency over time, based on the five core “resiliency rules” explored in the study.  

“In the months we’ve spent gathering data using the Resiliency Rules assessment tool we’ve learned organizations are less resilient – especially as it concerns speed and agility – on average than the original Resiliency Rules sample population,” said Jay Upchurch, SAS Executive Vice President and CIO. “Understanding where your organization stands today is the first step in building a strategy to sustain long-term change.”

Resiliency Assessment Tool
The Resiliency Assessment Tool is a free, online assessment enabling business leaders to appraise their own company’s resiliency quotient based on the five core resiliency rules explored in the Resiliency Rules survey: Curiosity, Innovation, Speed and Agility, Data Culture and Literacy, and Equity and Responsibility.   

Among the executives who used the Assessment Tool, 39% identified their organizations as low resilience, compared to 26% in the Resiliency Rules sample. Fewer rated themselves as either moderate- or high-resilience. These differences may be because executives at less-resilient organizations were more likely to engage in the Assessment Tool.   

The new data also shows that while about one-third of respondents rate their organizations as strong across the five resiliency rules, 60% of respondents said there is room for improvement or growth in each of these areas. The struggle was greater in two key areas: Speed and Agility and Data Culture and Literacy. However, the organizations also said they were in the process of improving these pieces.

Speed and Agility  
Results from the Assessment Tool suggest speed and agility remains a challenge: Only about one-fifth of Assessment Tool respondents said their organizations are strong in this area, 44% indicated that there is room for improvement, and 33% identified as being on their way, but not quite there yet.   

In the global Resiliency Rules sample, nearly all executives (96%) said speed and agility was a priority. Many were using data and AI to improve in this area, especially at highly resilient organizations: 80% of high-resiliency executives were using data and AI to improve speed and agility versus 69% and 48% of moderate- and low-resiliency executives, respectively.   

“Innovation moves at the speed of information,” says Steven Bakalar, Vice President of IT Digital Transformation at Georgia-Pacific and a SAS customer. “And the faster you can acquire, share, and leverage information, the better off you’re going to be. You’ll be developing insights or learnings that then you can translate into actionable steps.”   

Data Culture and Literacy
Executives using the Assessment Tool also said Data Culture and Literacy remains a struggle: 40% of respondents said there is room for improvement in this area, with an additional 29% saying they were on their way, but not there yet.   

Data Culture and Literacy was an area of focus in Resiliency Rules, with high-resiliency executives more likely to believe prioritizing data is important to their company’s culture (88%) compared to moderate- (59%) and low-resiliency (24%) executives. These executives also cited data scientist shortages at their companies, especially those most interested in resilience: 56% of executives with a strong interest in resiliency identified a data scientist shortage versus just 35% who didn’t rate resiliency as important.   

“To be resilient in the face of disruptions, organizations are investing in core data science across business units,” says Gautam Khera, industry consultant and advanced manufacturing executive. “This enables them to predict what’s needed for that organization, whether manufacturing a widget, developing supply chain, or trying to understand customer response. Having that flow of data and teams of people – engineers, citizen scientists, business analysts and data scientists – enabled and ready is really the key to being resilient.”  

Executives who are struggling in this area can also seek out software and services that bridge the gap, so their business users gain as much value out of data and AI/analytics as data scientists.  

Unlocking Resiliency
The Resiliency Assessment Tool is still available for executives interested in gauging their organization’s resilience. To access it and read the full Resiliency Rules report, visit blogs.sas.com/content/resiliency/

About SAS
SAS is a global leader in AI and analytics software, including industry-specific solutions. SAS helps organizations transform data into trusted decisions faster by providing knowledge in the moments that matter. SAS gives you THE POWER TO KNOW®.

SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. ® indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 2023 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.

Editorial Contacts:
Suzanne Sprajcar
suzanne.sprajcar@sas.com
+1-416-307-4634

sas.com/news

Danny Finlay

 

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/business-resiliency-gaps-wider-than-anticipated-study-reveals-301983040.html

SOURCE SAS Institute

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LEAP Group Relaunches HumanView, a Growth Intelligence System Built to Explain Why Customers Behave the Way They Do

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Reimagined from the ground up, HumanView pairs statistical modeling with expert analysts to turn millions of real-world customer signals into business decisions

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LEAP Group today announced the relaunch of HumanView, its growth intelligence service. The new version has been rebuilt from the ground up and now has a dedicated home at leapgroupnetwork.com/humanview.

HumanView analyzes what customers say and do across social platforms, e-commerce sites, review platforms, search behavior and user-generated content, including signals from Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, Meta, Amazon and Walmart+ that general AI tools cannot always access. Because the data reflects unprompted, real-world behavior, it avoids the response bias built into surveys and focus groups.

The service works in three layers. HumanView captures signals at scale, decodes millions of records through validated statistical models such as regression, correlation and clustering, and then relies on experienced analysts to interpret the patterns. Clients receive clear, human-validated insights instead of another dashboard.

“Machines find the patterns. Humans find the point,” said Alan Gilleo, CEO at LEAP Group. “The first version of HumanView showed us how much customers reveal when nobody is asking them questions. This version is built to explain why they act the way they do, and to put those answers in front of everyone making decisions, from product to service to marketing.”

HumanView focuses on three areas:

Growth Intelligence: customer motivations and how people perceive a brand and its competitors

Market and Category Intelligence: product pain points, service friction, unmet needs and competitive gaps

Audience Intelligence: new segments, positioning opportunities and gaps in the market

Every model is designed and validated by data scientists and benchmarked before it informs a recommendation.

To learn more about HumanView, visit leapgroupnetwork.com/humanview.

About LEAP Group
LEAP Group is a boutique marketing agency holding company with offices in Louisville, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Chicago. Guided by the belief that brands should “Market Less. Matter More.,” LEAP gives clients access to specialized experts across its entire network. Learn more at leapgroupnetwork.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leap-group-relaunches-humanview-a-growth-intelligence-system-built-to-explain-why-customers-behave-the-way-they-do-302918557.html

SOURCE LEAP Group

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STEPHEN A. SMITH ADDRESSES WHITE HOUSE DINNER ATTENDANCE, REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO HBCUs AND PROTECTING CORPORATE INVESTMENT IN BLACK EDUCATION

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NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Stephen A. Smith, media mogul, New York Times bestselling author, and proud 1991 graduate of Winston-Salem State University, is addressing the public discussion surrounding his decision to attend a White House dinner with President Donald Trump, emphasizing his commitment to the long-term financial stability of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

For Smith, the decision was rooted in a commitment to institutions that have educated generations of Black leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, and public servants.

“I will always advocate for HBCUs and the students whose futures depend on them,” Smith said. “My reason for attending the White House dinner was to discuss the challenges these institutions face in securing long-term funding and to make the case that corporate America must continue to invest in them.”

Smith acknowledged federal support through the FUTURE Act while expressing concern that political tensions surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) could discourage private companies from supporting HBCUs. He maintains that these institutions deserve sustained corporate partnerships, philanthropic contributions, and public investment.

“If we truly believe in free-market capitalism, businesses should be able to support educational institutions and charitable causes without fear of criticism or repercussions,” Smith said. “HBCUs have made extraordinary contributions to this country. They deserve sustained public and private investment.”

Ashley Christopher, Esq., Founder and CEO of the HBCU Week Foundation, recognized Smith’s advocacy and decision to engage with the administration.

“Stephen A. Smith has been a powerful advocate for HBCUs, using his platform and influence to shine a national spotlight on our institutions,” expressed Christopher, “His continued support of HBCU Week helps advance our mission of connecting students with life-changing educational opportunities, and we are proud to have him as our ambassador.”

Since Smith became an HBCU Week Ambassador in 2019, the initiative has facilitated more than 15,000 on-the-spot college acceptances and raised and awarded more than $150 million in scholarships, according to the HBCU Week Foundation.

As public discussion continues, Smith is emphasizing the importance of ensuring HBCUs have the resources and partnerships needed to educate future generations and expand opportunities for students.

CLICK HERE to watch Smith’s full response to his White House visit.

MEDIA CONTACT:

media@mrsasinc.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stephen-a-smith-addresses-white-house-dinner-attendance-reaffirms-commitment-to-hbcus-and-protecting-corporate-investment-in-black-education-302918547.html

SOURCE Straight Shooter Media

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Advantex Announces Completion of Financing and Extension of Maturity Date of Previously Issued Debentures

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TORONTO, Oct. 23, 2026 /CNW/ — Advantex Marketing International Inc. (CSE: ADX) (“Advantex”), a leader in the merchant cash advance and loyalty marketing products for merchants, today announced the completion of a $250,000 secured debt financing. Advantex issued a $250,000 non-convertible debenture which bears an interest rate at 12% per annum and matures December 15, 2027. The proceeds raised from this issuance of the Debenture will be used for working capital purposes.

Advantex has also extended the maturity of its existing $700,000 in 12% secured debentures from October 10, 2026 to December 15, 2027.

About Advantex Marketing International Inc.

Advantex provides working capital to merchants. Advantex also provides specialized marketing programs that enable members of Aeroplan to earn Aeroplan points at participating merchants.

Advantex shares trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol ADX. For more information go to Advantex’s profile on www.sedar.com

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the future business and operations of Advantex. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The business and operations of Advantex described herein is dependent on a number of factors and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ material include, but are not limited to, changes in Advantex’s economic and competitive conditions including but not limited to the industry sectors in which Advantex operates.

The statements in this news release are made of the date of this release. Forward-looking statements are made based on management’s beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made and Advantex undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE Advantex Marketing International Inc.

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