Though business executives say they understand that mobile applications are significant in helping drive their companies' digital transformations, many are not well-equipped to manage and deploy mobile apps.

That's according to an Accenture study that surveyed 2,000 senior-level decision makers on their thoughts on application development and the challenges they face with live apps.

"Businesses are not keeping a close eye on their apps… we found that too many companies are neglecting to continually improve their existing apps, so they risk wasting their investment," said Abhijit Kabra, mobile applications practice lead at Accenture, in a statement.

Accenture's study highlights several key features for solution providers who play an important part in simplifying mobile app development for customers. Following are five insights on business-critical mobile apps.