This post is part of G2's 2023 digital trends series.

Introducing G2’s 2023 software trends

I’m thrilled to introduce our Trends for 2023, an annual series of thought leadership from G2’s research analysts highlighting the trends that will shape the landscape of B2B software in 2023. The team of analysts used G2’s unique data points when exploring themes and innovations they expect to see in the new year. 

In our 2021 and 2022 trends, we highlighted the inherent need for companies to adapt rapidly to embrace digital transformation due to the new climate resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. After two years of focusing on digital transformation and hybridization, businesses are settling into a new standard of work—building digital resilience due to a looming economic recession, which will impact all industries, including B2B software. 

Companies will look at their technology spend more than ever before so they can focus on optimizing costs while remaining competitive. As a theme, companies may focus on resilience in 2023, as opposed to growth, and will have to make tough decisions around buying and utilizing software.

G2 research analysts examine how businesses can become digitally resilient   

Digital resilience will play an outsized role in helping companies adapt to challenging marketing conditions in the upcoming year. The following predictions from G2 analysts can help companies navigate this new normal to make better business decisions while continuing to support customer needs.

1. Companies will prioritize fast return on investment (ROI) over long-term benefits when investing in DevSecOps tools in 2023. - Adam Crivello
2. The most resilient companies will be the ones who bolster their digital community by investing in online community management software. - Alanna Iwuh
3. Organizations will focus on proactive security and further invest in security awareness training tools. In addition, data clean room software will become widely adopted for secure sensitive data collaboration. - Amal Joby
4. Companies will increasingly adopt smart methods of manufacturing in 2023 by leveraging product lifecycle management (PLM), 3D printing, and simulation tools. - Anindita Sengupta
5. Investments in the digitization of supply chains will increase as disruptions in the global supply chain are one of the leading causes of current economic woes. - Anthony Orso
6. The adoption of digital sales room software will continue to increase as companies shift towards a buyer-focused selling process to guide them through the complex experience of SaaS purchasing. - Blue Bowen 
7. Virtual workplaces software will continue to gain traction as a one-stop solution for remote and hybrid teams, enabling companies to remain resilient as they shift away from required in-office work models. - Brianna Bajwa
8. More healthcare providers will turn to patient engagement software to reduce administrative burden, improve patient outcomes, and optimize the virtual care experience. - Dominick Duda
9. ERP will regain its role as an essential software to support companies through difficult times due to the success of cloud ERP and the emergence of new types of software that emulate the ERP concept. - Gabriel Gheorghiu
10. Diversity recruiting and talent assessment software will grow in 2023 as employers seek out a qualified, diverse talent pool to continue to battle the “Great Resignation.” - Grace Savides
11. The edtech market will see a huge demand in 2023 for expanded online learning systems as students continue to opt for online experiences. - JaKayla D. Lathon
12. Automation and customer loyalty will be the two primary drivers of digital resilience as businesses further embrace customer service functions as part of their sales and revenue departments. - Jeffrey Lin
13. Artificial intelligence (AI) will become even more prominent within writing assistant software to improve the writing experience for employees and make proofreading, plagiarism detection, and publishing easier. - Marina Schlosser
14. There will be a rise in the adoption of data science and machine learning platforms due to easier-to-use features and low-code capabilities that will bring “AI superpowers” to non-data scientists. - Matthew Miller 
15. Many organizations will look to adopt test automation software in 2023 to help keep the software testing process moving, despite having fewer employees due to slowed hiring. - Michael Pigott
16. Companies that manage a procurement cycle will continue to build their own ecosystem of best-of-breed solutions rather than one end-to-end platform because of faster ROI and implementation times. - Nathan Calabrese
17. The prevalence of AI technology in design tools will allow for increased automation in the design process, leading designers to spend less time creating and more time reviewing and curating. - Priya Patel 
18. Companies will continue to invest in cloud-native technologies, but with more caution; cloud management platforms and cost management solutions will take priority in 2023. - Rachana Hasyagar
19. The machine translation market will grow in 2023 as it will continue to make it easier and more cost effective for businesses to localize content. - Shalaka Joshi
20. Investments in product information management (PIM) systems will be a top priority for e-commerce companies in 2023 as sales and marketing departments struggle to manage product data across a growing number of sales channels. - Subhransu Sahu
21. The secure access service edge (SASE) market will witness continued growth as the combination of networking and security services is driven by hybrid work scenarios. - Sarah Wallace
22. With layoffs looming across tech, marketers must create space to shelter their companies from fallout while continuously hitting successful metrics. Marketers will utilize brand intelligence software to better assess the landscape and discover what resonates most with their audience. - Victoria Blackwell