The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of data and analytics in businesses, with a sudden need for real-time data to respond to changing customer needs. Organizations are learning to leverage cloud-based solutions, open source technologies, and automation to improve agility and efficiency. Real-time data and insights have become critical for businesses to sense and respond to changes in their customers' needs and behaviors, as well as to understand how their business is operating. With the pandemic amplifying this need, firms that had advanced competencies could find out in real time how product demand shifted and what customers turned to as supply problems emerged. A multi-cloud data and analytics strategy is becoming more popular as organizations seek to avoid lock-in with a particular cloud vendor and to provide the best tools for different organizational cohorts. Companies must focus on customer-centricity, delivering great customer experiences that resonate with each and every customer, and providing a consistent brand experience across digital and physical channels to thrive in the age of digital transformation.