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6 Indicators of a Successful Digital Transformation

Most (93%) enterprises are undergoing some kind of digital transformation driven primarily by a desire to cut costs (77%) and improve customer experience (71%), according to the State of Enterprise Digital Transformation survey conducted by Hanover Research and commissioned by AHEAD.

Yet of those surveyed, almost half (42%) are struggling to achieve success as they fall behind schedule or their efforts stall altogether.

The survey revealed the most common and difficult challenges of enterprise digital transformations are legacy systems (36%) and technical debt (24%). As such, 67% of respondents cited infrastructure as a big part of their digital transformation strategy.

An analysis of the survey results revealed six factors that correlate with digital transformation success.

1. Dedicated Leadership

The survey found that 83% of digital transformations that are on track or ahead of schedule are led by a CIO, CEO, CDO, or CTO. As digital transformation touches every part of an enterprise, company-wide buy-in is critical.

2. All-In Approach

Transformations that are on track are 30% more likely to be structured as full-scale change initiatives.

Because digital operations are often so interconnected, piecemeal and partial transformations can often be siloed and result in limited impact on the factors driving the transformation.

3. Defined Digital Roadmap

92% of transformations that are on target or ahead of schedule have a defined strategy and roadmap that includes IT infrastructure and operations.

4. Alignment Between Infrastructure and Apps

Enterprises powered by an integrated DevOps approach are 43% more likely to see success in digital transformation efforts. To avoid bottlenecks, enterprises should audit DevOps functions before undergoing digital transformation.

5. Platform Mindset

Businesses that include IT infrastructure as a big part of their digital transformation are 36% more likely to have a successful transformation. As the backbone of a digital change initiative, an enterprise's infrastructure determines how far the transformation will go and its limits.

6. Commitment to Intelligent Operations

Companies that monitor IT performance in real time and remediate issues quickly are 24% more likely to undergo a successful digital transformation

Companies that monitor IT performance in real time and remediate issues quickly are 24% more likely to undergo a successful digital transformation. Further, the survey found that enterprises are more likely to see success in digital transformation if they have confidence in their abilities to perform highly in areas of automation, monitoring, hybrid cloud models and integrated security.

Tom Pohlmann, Head of Customer Success and Marketing at AHEAD, concluded: "Transformations are complex and often involve conflicting objectives like cost cutting alongside customer experience improvements. Without a strong foundation on which to build, run and innovate, transformation efforts will fail."

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6 Indicators of a Successful Digital Transformation

Most (93%) enterprises are undergoing some kind of digital transformation driven primarily by a desire to cut costs (77%) and improve customer experience (71%), according to the State of Enterprise Digital Transformation survey conducted by Hanover Research and commissioned by AHEAD.

Yet of those surveyed, almost half (42%) are struggling to achieve success as they fall behind schedule or their efforts stall altogether.

The survey revealed the most common and difficult challenges of enterprise digital transformations are legacy systems (36%) and technical debt (24%). As such, 67% of respondents cited infrastructure as a big part of their digital transformation strategy.

An analysis of the survey results revealed six factors that correlate with digital transformation success.

1. Dedicated Leadership

The survey found that 83% of digital transformations that are on track or ahead of schedule are led by a CIO, CEO, CDO, or CTO. As digital transformation touches every part of an enterprise, company-wide buy-in is critical.

2. All-In Approach

Transformations that are on track are 30% more likely to be structured as full-scale change initiatives.

Because digital operations are often so interconnected, piecemeal and partial transformations can often be siloed and result in limited impact on the factors driving the transformation.

3. Defined Digital Roadmap

92% of transformations that are on target or ahead of schedule have a defined strategy and roadmap that includes IT infrastructure and operations.

4. Alignment Between Infrastructure and Apps

Enterprises powered by an integrated DevOps approach are 43% more likely to see success in digital transformation efforts. To avoid bottlenecks, enterprises should audit DevOps functions before undergoing digital transformation.

5. Platform Mindset

Businesses that include IT infrastructure as a big part of their digital transformation are 36% more likely to have a successful transformation. As the backbone of a digital change initiative, an enterprise's infrastructure determines how far the transformation will go and its limits.

6. Commitment to Intelligent Operations

Companies that monitor IT performance in real time and remediate issues quickly are 24% more likely to undergo a successful digital transformation

Companies that monitor IT performance in real time and remediate issues quickly are 24% more likely to undergo a successful digital transformation. Further, the survey found that enterprises are more likely to see success in digital transformation if they have confidence in their abilities to perform highly in areas of automation, monitoring, hybrid cloud models and integrated security.

Tom Pohlmann, Head of Customer Success and Marketing at AHEAD, concluded: "Transformations are complex and often involve conflicting objectives like cost cutting alongside customer experience improvements. Without a strong foundation on which to build, run and innovate, transformation efforts will fail."

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Efficiency is a highly-desirable objective in business ... We're seeing this scenario play out in enterprises around the world as they continue to struggle with infrastructures and remote work models with an eye toward operational efficiencies. In contrast to that goal, a recent Broadcom survey of global IT and network professionals found widespread adoption of these strategies is making the network more complex and hampering observability, leading to uptime, performance and security issues. Let's look more closely at these challenges ...

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The 2025 Catchpoint SRE Report dives into the forces transforming the SRE landscape, exploring both the challenges and opportunities ahead. Let's break down the key findings and what they mean for SRE professionals and the businesses relying on them ...

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Imagine a future where software, once a complex obstacle, becomes a natural extension of daily workflow — an intuitive, seamless experience that maximizes productivity and efficiency. This future is no longer a distant vision but a reality being crafted by the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence ...

Enterprise data sprawl already challenges companies' ability to protect and back up their data. Much of this information is never fully secured, leaving organizations vulnerable. Now, as GenAI platforms emerge as yet another environment where enterprise data is consumed, transformed, and created, this fragmentation is set to intensify ...

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