The concept of digital transformation is fundamentally flawed in three ways.

First, semantically.
The term itself is abstract and ambiguous. People still argue over what it means, let alone what success looks like, which is hardly a solid foundation for execution.

Second, assumptively.
Digital transformation assumes a need — transformation — and assumes a solution — digitalness. But how many businesses need to transform, and is digitization the best solution if they do?

Technology is great, but only if it solves a problem or creates an opportunity. Many of these programs aren’t based on such analyses though. Instead companies kick them off because others have, and they're following the herd. The same was true with the business process reengineering fad in the nineties which also failed to live up to expectations.

Third, organizationally.
The structural, political, cultural and operational forces in large organizations resist change, almost by design. And the more extreme the change the more strongly it is opposed. Psychologically there's a big difference between an aspiration to improve, and an aspiration to transform.

Massive change is only possible when the pain of the transformation is less than the pain of continuing as is. Yet in most businesses, most of the time it isn’t so the initiative is stifled.

Want to know why transformation programs fail so often? They could never have succeeded in the first place! #digitaltransformation

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