A “people first” approach to business is the key to success in today’s digital economy, reports Accenture in its global technology trends report, “Accenture Technology Vision 2016.” It advises that when companies equip their employees, partners and consumers with new skills, they can capitalize on the disruptive effects of technological advancement.

In a companion survey of more than 3,100 business and IT executives worldwide, Accenture found that 33 percent of the global economy is already impacted by digital. Additionally, 86 percent of survey respondents anticipate that the pace of technology change will increase at a rapid or unprecedented rate over the next three years.

“In the Accenture Technology Vision 2016, we’ve identified five technology trends that are critical to digital success,” says Paul Daugherty, Accenture’s chief technology officer. “Digital means people too and a cornerstone of this year’s vision is people first. Companies that embrace digital can empower their workforce to continuously learn new skills to do more with technology and generate bigger and better business results.”

The five technology trends Accenture identified include:

Intelligent automation—Automation, including artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and augmented reality, is changing the way businesses operate and driving new, more productive relationships between people and machines.

Liquid workforce—Technology can enable workforce transformation, leading companies to create adaptable and change-ready environments able to meet dynamic digital demands.

Platform economy—Platform-based business models can capture new growth opportunities.

Predictable disruption—Fast-emerging digital ecosystems create the foundation for the next wave of disruption by straddling markets and blurring industry boundaries; forward-thinking leaders can proactively predict these trajectories to gain a competitive advantage.

Digital Trust—To gain the trust of individuals, ecosystems and regulators in this new landscape, businesses must focus on digital ethics as a core strategy.

Click here for more on Accenture’s report and its findings.