Common Client Pain Points in Digital Transformation

I’ll never forget a conversation I had with the CEO of a major retail chain. They had poured millions into “digital transformation”—a new eCommerce platform, AI-powered analytics, and even a sleek mobile app. But their bottom line hadn’t budged. “We’ve done everything right,” they told me, “But where are the results?” This isn’t an isolated story. Gartner reports that while 91% of organizations engage in digital initiatives, only 40% achieve expected outcomes. Digital transformation isn’t about shiny tools; it’s about delivering measurable value. The Foundation of Tangible Digital Transformation True digital transformation solves real problems and drives outcomes. For the retail chain, their digital investments weren’t integrated. Online data wasn’t personalizing in-store experiences, and AI tools were underutilized. By creating a unified data strategy, we helped them achieve a 20% boost in cross-channel sales within six months. Keys to Success: ◾Define Clear Goals: Always start by asking, “What problem are we solving?” ◾Adopt Technology Strategically: Use tools like AI or IoT only if they align with objectives. For instance, in healthcare, AI reduced diagnosis times by 30%, saving lives. ◾Empower People: Technology succeeds when paired with the right culture. Companies that invest in employee training are 4x more likely to succeed. The Cost of Getting It Wrong Failed digital transformations cost companies over $900 billion annually, according to Forbes. The impact isn’t just financial—it’s reputational. Customers expect seamless experiences. For a telecom client struggling with churn, we implemented a centralized CRM, improving retention by 15% and cutting inefficiencies by 20%. What Tangible Results Look Like: ➡️ Efficiency: Automation saves time and money. ➡️ Revenue Growth: Personalized customer journeys increase retention. ➡️ Customer Satisfaction: Seamless service builds loyalty. For example, AI-powered route optimization helped a logistics client reduce delivery times by 25%, boosting repeat business by 10%. Navigating Challenges Legacy systems, resistance to change, and skill gaps can derail progress. At Devsinc, we tackle these issues with phased migrations and workshops to build confidence in new technologies. The Human Element Digital transformation isn’t just about technology—it’s about people. For the retail chain, success came from reconnecting with customers through personalized interactions, rebuilding trust, and driving sales. The Path Forward Digital transformation is a business necessity. To succeed, you need a clear vision, the right tools, and a focus on measurable outcomes. At Devsinc, we’re passionate about empowering organizations to cut through the noise and achieve lasting impact. Because at its heart, transformation is about creating meaningful change—and that’s a journey worth taking.

"70% of digital transformations fail." So why do we even try? This statistic has been cited so often it's become a cliché. Yet despite knowing the odds, organizations continue to launch ambitious digital initiatives with fragile foundations. The real surprise isn't that transformations fail, it's that we keep making the same mistakes. After analyzing dozens of transformation attempts across industries, I've identified the three critical failure points: 1️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿: 44% of employees resist new tools without proper training. We vastly underestimate the emotional and cognitive load of changing established work patterns. Technology implementations aren't technical challenges, they're change management challenges with technical elements. → GE's Predix platform collapsed despite $7B in investment, largely because siloed teams and misaligned incentives prevented cohesive adoption. The technology worked; the human systems didn't. 2️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆-𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Organizations adopt cutting-edge technologies while maintaining outdated workflows and governance. It's like installing a Ferrari engine in a horse carriage and wondering why it doesn't go faster. → IBM Watson's oncology project promised revolutionary healthcare but struggled because the underlying organizational systems and clinical workflows weren't redesigned to leverage AI capabilities. 3️⃣ 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆: Companies add new tools without streamlining legacy systems, creating what consultants call "hidden complexity." Consequently, employees toggle between 8-10 apps daily, fragmenting focus and reducing productivity. → One Fortune 500 company discovered they were spending more time managing their transformation tools than actually transforming their business. The path forward requires three fundamental shifts: 1️⃣ Invest 2X more in change management than technology 2️⃣ Redesign processes before selecting technology, not after 3️⃣ Measure adoption quality, not just implementation completion Success stories share common patterns: they treat transformation as an organizational capability, not a technology deployment. They create "transformation muscles" that persist beyond any single initiative. The most successful transformation I've studied established a "One Out, One In" rule. That is, for every new system implemented, an old one had to be retired. They recognized that addition without subtraction is just complexity accumulation. Digital transformations are fundamentally about human transformation, enabled by technology. What's been your experience with digital transformation? ♻️Repost if you found this valuable ____ ➕Follow John Brewton for content that helps. ➕Follow Operating by John Brewton for weekly deep dives on the history and future of operating and optimizing companies (sub 🔗 in the comments)

Your PortCo’s have invested in AI, IoT, maybe even Blockchain, but the ROI isn’t showing up. The problem usually isn’t the technology; it’s the operating blueprint underneath it. A 2025 study in ACCESS Journal finds that one of the biggest failure points in digital transformation is trying to force dynamic, flexible technologies into rigid Enterprise Architecture (EA) frameworks. These frameworks — TOGAF, Zachman, and others — were designed for stability, not speed. When today’s tech meets yesterday’s architecture: 🔹Strategic goals and IT execution drift apart 🔹Change slows down 🔹Investments underdeliver To close the gap, companies must evolve EA from a static map into a living, dynamic system that flexes with the business and unlocks value. The research suggests the following actions to turn your EA from an anchor into an enabler: 🔹 Go from Blueprint to GPS: Modern EA must become a translation layer between business strategy and tech capability, not a rigid schematic. → Start by auditing where your EA slows decision velocity. 🔹Rebuild Around Data: AI and IoT require your system to deal with large amounts of real-time data. If your EA can't process and act on it, you're leaving value on the table. → Invest in governance, real-time integration, and feedback loops. 🔹Fix the Culture Constraint: Technology doesn’t fail. People resist. → Shift your culture from "protect the old" to "learn the new." Build adaptability into your org design. 🔹Design for Sustainable Scale: Short-term wins without architectural discipline create long-term complexity. → Pressure-test every tech decision against long-range scalability and strategic alignment. Key Take Away for Executives: Companies who want to become digital transformation champions need to elevate these discussions from being “an IT topic” to a strategic level.  Done right, architecture unlocks the efficiency, agility, and innovation promised by new technology and is a key value driver.   What has been your bigger challenge when implementing new tech and how have you adapted? Link to full study: https://lnkd.in/e-FFsnUH #DigitalTransformation #SciencemeetsStrategy