The 6 most common reasons digital transformations fail

"Believing that digital transformation is about changing technology is like thinking firefighting is about riding in a fire truck. Firefighting is about putting out fires to save lives and property. Digital transformation is about changing how your organization functions and creates value using data, systems, skills, and processes. That might mean building dashboards that give executives real-time visibility across thousands of staff, training hundreds in new ways of working like Agile or DevOps, or automating back-office processes to free up time for higher-value work."

"The common thread is that technology becomes a catalyst for organisational change in strategy, people, and operations-not just new software bolted onto old habits. If you're replacing systems without changing how people work or what value you create, you're running an IT project, not a transformation. That's not bad, but the distinction matters because it determines whether change is sustainable."

"Based on my work with dozens of organizations and research into what drives success, six reasons appear most often. 1. Your Digital Vision Could Mean Anything Visions for digital transformations are overrated. You need a clear vision for digital change, but for teams doing the work, that isn't enough. A specific definition of done bridges the gap between the vision you want and the actions they need to take."

Digital transformation changes how an organization functions and creates value through data, systems, skills, and processes. Examples include dashboards that give executives real-time visibility across thousands of staff, training hundreds in Agile or DevOps, and automating back-office tasks to free time for higher-value work. Technology acts as a catalyst for change in strategy, people, and operations rather than being an end in itself. Replacing systems without altering how people work or what value is created constitutes an IT project, not a transformation. High failure rates (26%–88%) indicate many transformations falter. A common failure is an unclear digital vision; a specific definition of done is required.

Read at Fast Company