Unlocking transformation success: building for business integration

Digital transformation is no longer a choice, but its long-term success remains elusive. As organisations rush to modernise post-COVID, many still fail to embed lasting value. According to McKinsey Global Survey, only 12% of companies sustain transformation goals beyond three years, and up to 42% of expected financial benefits are lost in later stages.
The root cause? The misconception that technology alone solves business problems. At Saros, we’ve found that successful transformations are driven not just by tools but also by people, process alignment, and continuous communication.

Technology Alone Is Not Enough
Effective transformation starts with integration, not just implementation. Many times a solution is chosen without a deep and holistic understanding of the needs of all the users. This can lead to sub-optimal uptake and utilisation, and if there is no roadmap for future enhancements to encourage ongoing engagement, goodwill is quickly lost. End users – often overlooked – should be central from day one.
Legacy systems persist not because they’re better, but because users know how to work around their flaws. These inefficiencies often go unnoticed unless teams are engaged directly. Techniques like process mapping surface real pain points, enabling IT leaders to identify where targeted improvements will have the most benefit, rather than superficial upgrades.

Prioritise Users, Then the Tech
By understanding how systems are used – and misused – project teams can define core requirements and select appropriate solutions, whether off-the-shelf or custom-built. Vendor collaboration becomes a force multiplier here, but only when it aligns with user realities.
A user-first approach ensures that technology adoption doesn’t just happen – it sticks. The difference between a costly implementation and a game-changing investment often lies in how well the solution addresses everyday user friction.

Know Your Stakeholders
Transformation efforts succeed when stakeholders are informed, engaged and invested. Transparency about what the technology can and cannot do builds trust and sets the stage for realistic expectations. This enables decision-makers to allocate the necessary resources — time, funding and people — without chasing false outcomes.
Stakeholder influence evolves over time. Map and prioritise them early, and nurture those relationships consistently. Department heads, in particular, must be brought along on the journey to lead change within their teams.
Stakeholder management and support are key indicators of a successful project, so ensuring the right buy-in and engaging the right people at the right time is essential.

Define Success and Make It Visible
Clarity on what success looks like at each stage is crucial. Documenting and sharing these definitions fosters alignment, avoids misinterpretation, and builds accountability. Transparency drives progress and allows space for learning from missteps, without burying them until it’s too late.
Encouraging honest feedback and creating space for “bad news” can help avert downstream failures. Leaders should model this by fostering a culture that values learning as much as outcomes.

Change Management Cannot Be an Afterthought
The project doesn’t end at go-live. Many efforts falter in post-implementation support, especially training. Systems behave differently in production, and user adoption depends on how well teams are prepared and supported.

One common pitfall: underinvesting in training. We’ve seen firsthand how a simple training session can unlock user confidence and drastically improve efficiency. Tech success isn’t just about rollout, it’s about how people use and adapt to the system.

Transformation That Lasts
Every transformation journey is unique, but lasting impact shares consistent traits: alignment to business objectives, cross-functional collaboration, transparent planning, and continuous communication. At Saros Consulting, we partner with clients globally to ensure transformation is not just implemented but integrated for long-term value.

Conclusion
Transformation isn’t just about choosing the right technology. It’s about ensuring that change fits the business, works for the people using it, and delivers real, long-term value. Success comes from aligning new systems with existing processes, engaging the right stakeholders early, and supporting users through every stage of the journey.
At Saros, we work closely with IT leaders to deliver lasting transformation projects. From mapping needs to managing adoption, we help you navigate complexity and turn ideas into outcomes.

Key Takeaways

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