Digital transformation has established itself as a strategic priority in large organizations. There is no shortage of investments or intention. According to IDC, global investments in digital transformation are expected to exceed $3.4 trillion by 2026. But there is still a paradox that bothers — and needs to be addressed with more honesty: why, even with robust budgets and dedicated structures, so many of these movements still generate little real impact? This is not a problem of ignorance or ill will. Large companies operate with deep legacies, complex value chains, strict 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, by itself, does not transform anything. What transforms is how it is conceived, integrated, and operationalized within the business model. And this is where many projects still stumble. A study by BCG (Boston Consulting Group) 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 which remain trapped in organizational silos, chain approvals, and disconnected flows. There are ‘agile’ squads operating in environments where strategic decisions are still made via email. There is data, but little capacity to turn it into actionable decisions. According to Forrester, between 60% and 73% of the data collected by companies is never used in strategic analysis. There are advanced technologies, but without an architecture that allows for safe and smooth scaling.
Real transformation is more than just digitizing processes or adopting new platforms. It’s about rethinking operations based on data, redesigning responsibilities, restructuring flows, and above all, aligning technology with real strategic objectives — not just with trends. Yes, this requires tough choices. Review contracts, discontinue initiatives, unify structures that historically operate in parallel. Often, what hinders transformation is not lack of technology, but an excess of unresolved organizational legacies. But the risk of not facing this process deeply is high — and silent. The cost of poorly directed transformation does not appear immediately. It dilutes in long delivery cycles, in solutions that do not scale, in data that do not integrate, and in opportunities that do not turn into competitive advantage.
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 have to be chaotic, nor disguised as innovation. It needs to be coherent, connected to the business, and capable of consistently sustaining results. Because in the end, what defines success is not the adoption of technology, but the ability to generate real value with it.
