The Anatomy of a Successful Digital Transformation

Almost four trillion dollars are spent on digitalization worldwide every year, yet many of those investments generate little value. According to Professor Sam Solaimani, who places this theme at the center of his inaugural lecture, the key issue lies in a persistent misunderstanding: digital transformation is first and foremost about transformation—and only then about digital technology. “A violin does not play itself. The most beautiful music comes not from the instrument, but from the musician and the orchestra around it.”

“Back in 1987, Nobel Prize winner Robert Solow observed that computers were everywhere, yet their impact was hardly visible in productivity statistics,” says Solaimani. “Technology has changed completely since then, but that statement remains remarkably relevant today.”

Recent research by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) shows that approximately 95 percent of generative AI pilot projects fail to deliver measurable value. According to Solaimani, the problem does not lie with the technology itself.

“On one point, optimists and skeptics agree: organizations that successfully generate value from technology do not necessarily have better tools than those that lag behind. The difference lies in everything that is not purely technical.”

Four Interconnected Systems

To make that difference more tangible, Solaimani uses the metaphor of anatomy: a body in which four systems reinforce one another and can only function effectively when they work together.

“The first system is the head: leadership and strategy. This is where direction is determined. Not by a single leader with an ambitious presentation, but by executives and managers who can explain why digitalization is necessary and who have sufficient understanding of data and technology to ask the right questions. A digital strategy that exists only in the boardroom or within the IT department is not a course of action—it is merely a wish.”

Resistance as a Valuable Signal

The second system is the heart: culture and behavior. The well-known saying ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast’ exists for a reason. It is within culture that the willingness to learn, experiment, and challenge familiar assumptions takes shape. “Resistance should not be viewed as an obstacle to overcome, but as a valuable signal. It reveals where fear, confusion, or poor design are standing in the way of change.”

Where Things Often Go Wrong

The third system consists of the limbs: the operating model and governance. “This is where things often go wrong. Dreaming is easy, talking is easy, doing is difficult. In many organizations, reality consists of legacy systems, workarounds, and layers of complexity that have accumulated over years. Simply placing AI on top of that is not an accelerator—it is a bandage on a broken leg.”

“From a Lean perspective, the lesson is clear: simplify and standardize first, automate later. Otherwise, waste is not eliminated—it becomes institutionalized.”

Control Determines Digital Sovereignty

Finally, data and technology form the bloodstream. According to Solaimani, data and technology are important, but they only create real value when the other systems are functioning properly as well. “Many organizations possess enormous amounts of data, yet they still fail to generate sufficient insight from it. This is precisely where the issue connects to the broader debate on digital sovereignty. If you depend on others to store, access, or interpret your data, you have only limited control over your own information position.”

“Government ministries, municipalities, water authorities, banks, and insurance companies make extensive use of American cloud services. It is understandable that policymakers want greater control over this. However, digital sovereignty is not just about where data is stored. The key question is whether you actually control it yourself. Even in a Dutch cloud environment, that control is not guaranteed automatically. Governance, agreements, and processes must first be properly organized.”

Learning to Play the Instrument

When asked whether he considers himself an optimist or a skeptic regarding digital transformation, Solaimani responds: “I see myself as both an optimist and a realist. The Netherlands has all the ingredients needed to make digital transformations successful: excellent infrastructure, strong knowledge institutions, and a growing awareness of the importance of this issue. This is also reflected in the coalition agreement, which states that the Netherlands should become a digital leader. But technology alone will not get us there.”

“The real gains do not come from buying the best instrument, but from learning how to play it—and, above all, from the orchestra you create together with your supply chain partners and customers.”