Digital transformation has become a strategic priority for large organizations. There is no shortage of investments or intent. According to IDC, global investments in digital transformation are expected to exceed $3.4 trillion by 2026. But there is a paradox that still troubles—and needs to be addressed with more honesty: why, even with robust budgets and dedicated structures, do so many of these initiatives still generate little real impact? This is not a problem of ignorance or bad faith. Large companies operate with deep legacies, complex value chains, rigid regulations, and multiple layers of decision-making. Transforming in this environment is not simple. It requires courage, orchestration, and strategic patience. The cost is high, the risks are real, and the impact of any change—positive or negative—is enormous.
That said, the main challenge remains the same: technology alone transforms nothing. What transforms is how it is conceived, integrated, and operationalized within the business model. And this is where many projects still stumble. A BCG (Boston Consulting Group) study indicates that only 30% of digital transformation initiatives fully achieve their objectives. It is not uncommon to find companies with modern tools and skilled teams but still trapped in organizational silos, chain approvals, and disconnected workflows. There are ‘agile’ squads operating in environments where strategic decisions are still made via email. There is data, but little ability to turn it into actionable decisions. According to a Forrester survey, between 60% and 73% of the data collected by companies is never used in strategic analyses. There are advanced technologies, but without an architecture that allows scaling with security and fluidity.
True transformation is more than digitizing processes or adopting new platforms. It is rethinking operations based on data, redesigning responsibilities, restructuring workflows, and, above all, aligning technology with real strategic objectives—not just trends. Yes, this requires tough choices. Reviewing contracts, discontinuing initiatives, unifying structures that historically operate in parallel. Often, what hinders transformation is not a lack of technology but an excess of unresolved organizational legacies. But the risk of not addressing this process in depth is high—and silent. The cost of misguided transformation does not appear immediately. It dilutes into long delivery cycles, solutions that do not scale, data that does not integrate, and opportunities that do not become competitive advantages.
The good news is that it is possible to do things differently. Companies that treat technology as a central part of their strategic architecture, that build product governance, and that responsibly face the challenge of change are reaping real gains: more efficiency, more predictability, more organizational learning. Digital transformation does not need to be chaotic or disguised as innovation. It needs to be coherent, connected to the business, and capable of sustaining results consistently. Because, in the end, what defines success is not the adoption of technology but the ability to generate real value with it.
