Why true digital transformation requires more than isolated initiatives and how the right balance between strategic project planning and operational process automation unlocks sustainable success.
Many digital transformation initiatives don’t fail due to a lack of will or inadequate technology. They fail because of a fundamental misconception: they are treated as one-off projects rather than ongoing, integrated processes.
One company, having invested heavily in infrastructure and customer processes, painfully experienced this. Despite solid planning, CRM tools, and committed project teams, the result was significant friction:
media disruptions, manual coordination, and a lack of transparency, all leading to delays, budget overruns, and dissatisfied customers.
Digital transformation must not get stuck in project thinking. What’s missing is a unifying process framework that automates, integrates, and scales operational workflows.
The Solution:
A hybrid approach: strategic steering through projects, operational excellence through process automation.
Positive results in this case included:
Clear, automated workflows from customer contact to implementation
Cross-system integration and seamless team handovers
Significantly faster execution and higher quality
Measurable improvements: transparency, efficiency, customer satisfaction
What decision-makers now need:
Consider processes as early as project planning
Replace siloed departments with end-to-end integration
Use technology as a connector, not just another isolated solution
Define clear roles and responsibilities for continuous execution
Digitalization succeeds not when projects are merely launched, but when they are sustainably and seamlessly embedded into ongoing operations. Those who consider processes early and orchestrate them intelligently with the right technology create lasting impact instead of isolated solutions.
A real-world example from project work:
A company launched an ambitious digitalization initiative involving multiple sub-areas. In this case, it was an infrastructure expansion including the following fields:
Acquiring customers and partners
Comprehensive planning tasks
Construction and installation work
On-site coordination
Sales activities to attract new clients
Marketing and advertising
Contract handling and execution
Initial setup:
The company invested in a large-scale transformation project, relying on traditional project management tools and a CRM system. Plans were detailed, teams were highly motivated.
The sobering reality soon exposed the limits of this approach:
Recurring workflows were handled inefficiently
Coordination needs between teams and systems were enormous, causing delays
The traceability of individual process steps was lacking
Quality and speed suffered due to missing process integration
The direct consequences:
Significant project delays
Budget overruns
Customer dissatisfaction due to extended delivery times
Project management alone was not sufficient to steer such a complex initiative effectively. A process-based approach within the project was required.
The experience of this company is far from unique. Studies confirm that many digital transformation initiatives fail to reach their full potential because they are implemented using standard software and (multi-)project management tools.
Typical symptoms include:
Media Disruptions and Data Silos
Project teams use their own tools, while day-to-day operations are handled in other systems — sometimes even manually.
Lack of End-to-End Thinking
Projects focus on their specific goals without integrating into existing business processes.
Limited Scalability
What works during the project phase often fails when scaled for live operations.
Workarounds Instead of Integration
Employees create their own temporary solutions when the process and tool support don’t meet day-to-day needs.
For CIOs, COOs, and other decision-makers, one core question arises:
How can we ensure that our digital transformation projects have a lasting impact and are scalable in day-to-day operations?
Strengths and limitations of modern project management tools:
Project management is a key instrument for driving change. It provides structured methods for planning initiatives, using resources efficiently, and systematically implementing innovative ideas.
Typical strengths include:
Focus: Teams, budgets, and timelines are aligned toward specific goals
Innovation Drive: New ideas are introduced into the organization through clearly defined projects
Flexibility: Project teams can respond quickly to new requirements
However, in practice, it becomes evident that project management alone is not enough.
The limitations of project-centric thinking became clear in our case study company:
Projects have a defined start and end yet the real value creation happens in ongoing operations
The focus is often on one-time planning, not on repeatable or reusable processes
After the project ends, there's often no structural integration into the broader organization
The company realized that the real challenge wasn’t in project management — it was in the day-to-day operational management:
Standardization of recurring workflows: for example, from customer inquiry to go-live
Seamless integration of various systems: from planning and construction supervision to billing
Transparency and traceability: having a clear view of the status of every order and job site at all times
Scalability: the ability to handle increasing numbers of inquiries and projects efficiently
Process management and project control are the perfect match. Together they deliver the key success factors:
Clear project planning as a strategic framework
Thoughtfully designed end-to-end processes for everyday operations
Clearly defined responsibilities in every phase
Automated handovers between teams and systems
Continuous measurement and optimization of processes
The Solution: A Hybrid Approach
The company chose a hybrid approach. Strategic goals continued to be guided through project management, while day-to-day execution was handled via structured and automated processes.
In practice, this meant:
1. Define and automate core workflows
Standardized process from customer inquiry to active connection
Progress tracking through defined milestones
Automated status updates and handovers between teams
2. Create a strong technological foundation
Implementation of a process automation and orchestration platform (Axon Ivy platform)
Integration with existing systems (CRM, ERP, GIS, project tools)
Unified user interface for all involved stakeholders
3. Establish measurable KPIs
Lead times from inquiry to implementation
Number of handoffs per order
Error rates and need for rework
Customer satisfaction throughout the process
The Result:
By combining project management (for strategy) and process management (for execution), the company not only achieved its project goals but it exceeded them:
Significantly faster execution of projects and tasks
Dramatic reduction of manual steps and follow-up work
Full transparency into the status of every operation
Notably higher satisfaction among both customers and employees
Learn how others have overcome this challenge in our customer success stories.
Based on the experience of this company, four key principles emerge for effectively integrating project and process management:
Plan with a Process Mindset
Even during the project definition phase, consider how future operations will integrate into the process landscape. Specifically:
Identify relevant processes early
Plan integration into existing workflows from the beginning
Involve process owners at an early stage
Think End-to-End
Digitalization doesn’t stop at team or system boundaries. What matters is the bigger picture. Specifically:
Map the entire value stream, not just isolated steps
Identify handoffs with upstream and downstream processes
Ensure seamless transitions between teams
Discover how Axon Ivy’s orchestration capabilities help you bridge silos and streamline complexity.
Use Technology as an Enabler
The right platform forms the backbone of scalable digitalization. Specifically:
Rely on flexible automation and orchestration platforms that allow quick adjustments
Integrate existing systems using API-based architectures
Leverage process mining for ongoing optimization
Clearly Define Responsibilities
The transition from project mode to operational process requires clearly assigned roles. Specifically:
Appoint explicit process owners
Establish a dual governance model (project + process)
Define the handoff point from project planning to regular operations
Practice shows clearly: this is not an either-or between project and process management, it’s about intelligently combining both.
Projects spark change, drive innovation, and focus on new goals.
Processes secure long-term success through stable workflows, clear responsibilities, and scalability in day-to-day business.
Key Insight for Decision-Makers:
Transformation starts with a project but it only becomes effective through process execution. Those who combine both disciplines in their digital initiatives don’t just create quick wins, they build lasting competitive advantages.