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How successful are IT transformations really? What are the most important goals and key success factors, and what challenges exist? What recommendations can be drawn from this? That\u2019s what SAP consulting firm NTT DATA Business Solutions and IT service provider Natuvion set out to find out.<\/p>\n
For the \u201c2026 Transformation Study,\u201d they surveyed more than 1,100 specialists and executives from 15 countries earlier this year. The CEOs, CIOs, and IT and transformation leaders from medium-sized to large companies had all been involved in an IT transformation over the past two years.<\/p>\n
The study\u2019s subtitle, \u201cWhat Executives Wish They Had Known Sooner,\u201d highlights this point: The study is designed to help decision-makers plan transformation projects in a structured manner, avoid typical pitfalls, and efficiently achieve individual goals.<\/p>\n
Why do companies launch a transformation project? A comparison of studies from the past four years reveals a clear shift in the goals of IT transformations. While cost reduction, organizational adjustments, and restructuring were still the main focus in 2023, companies today are increasingly focusing on future-readiness, innovation, and technological modernization.<\/p>\n
Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing many things, including the motivations behind digital transformation in companies. At 60 percent, the adoption of new, modern technologies\u2014particularly AI\u2014is by far the most important driver of digital transformation projects in the current study.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 2026 Transformation Study shows that AI is increasingly becoming the decisive driver of corporate development,\u201d says Norbert Rotter, CEO of NTT DATA Business Solutions. <\/p>\n
\u201cCompanies that strategically embed AI now are boosting their efficiency and securing a competitive edge for the future,\u201d says Norbert Rotter, CEO of NTT DATA Business Solutions.<\/p>\n
In second and third place are \u201cincreasing innovation capacity\u201d at 46.5 percent and \u201cmaking organizations and IT more flexible\u201d at 42.2 percent of all mentions. \u201cCompanies that do not consistently link transformation to a clear innovation and AI agenda run the risk of falling behind structurally,\u201d according to the study\u2019s authors.<\/p>\n
Traditional cost-cutting goals, on the other hand, rank only fifth. \u201cIn the past, companies transformed their IT to cut costs. Today, they transform to secure the future,\u201d summarizes Holger Strotmann, CEO of Natuvion.<\/p>\n
The study highlights a phenomenon known as the \u201cAI paradox.\u201d AI is becoming the most important driver of transformation, yet at the same time, the prerequisites for successful AI initiatives are among the greatest challenges of transformation. After all, without a robust data and system foundation, there can be no successful use of AI.<\/p>\n
Issues such as data quality, transparency regarding a company\u2019s own data assets, regulatory requirements, and governance are central prerequisites for AI and digital business models. Yet, according to the study, these are precisely the factors most frequently underestimated in transformation projects.<\/p>\n
Poor data quality, in particular, is a problem. 26.4 percent of respondents cited it as an \u201cunexpected challenge\u201d in the transformation process. It\u2019s important to note that data quality has consistently ranked first since the study began in 2022. \u201cCompliance with regulatory requirements\u201d ranks second (23.9 percent), followed by \u201ctest management\u201d (23.5 percent).
Companies must expect unexpected challenges in IT transformation projects, which typically last one to two years. As the authors note, these projects are complex in practice, evolve dynamically, and often unfold differently than originally planned. Therefore, those who respond flexibly to obstacles and are able to make adjustments to their migration methodology as the project progresses have an advantage.<\/p>\n
For the first time this year, respondents were asked whether the originally chosen migration method had to be adjusted during the transformation process. The result: 71 percent of the surveyed companies made partial or substantial changes to their migration methodology during the transformation process, while 26.5 percent even fundamentally changed their methodology. Notably: Even in greenfield migrations, 83.4 percent of cases involved a change or adjustment to the methodology.<\/p>\n
However, the authors note that it also became clear that success is not determined by the initial choice of methodology, but rather by the ability to adapt it to the actual project requirements.<\/p>\n
All experts know: IT transformation projects are highly complex and often fail to meet the goals set at the outset. According to the study, 82.2 percent of companies exceed their budget and 79.5 percent miss their timeline. The authors therefore recommend \u201crealistic planning, sufficient buffers, and a robust project setup.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the study, companies are now planning their transformations more realistically than they did a few years ago: A timeframe of one to two years is increasingly becoming the standard for large-scale projects. In the IT transformation study, nearly 64 percent of respondents stated that they had allocated more than one year for their transformation, with the majority\u201444 percent\u2014planning for one to two years. 19.8 percent planned for more than two years, and 5.3 percent for more than four years.<\/p>\n
How much of a budget did the respondents allocate for the transformation? Last year, most companies (18 percent) had a total budget of 5 to 10 million euros. This amount has increased further this year: The most common budget range this time (20.2 percent) was between 10 and 20 million euros. The majority of IT transformations fall within the range of 5 to 50 million euros (52.7 percent).<\/p>\n
Which areas were most underestimated in the course of the transformation? Testing ranks first here (32.4 percent), just ahead of technical implementation (32.3 percent). While technical implementation was already perceived as the biggest challenge in previous years, testing has gained significantly in importance and has moved up from fourth place to the top.<\/p>\n
In third place, with 30.3 percent, is project planning; in fourth place, with 29.6 percent, is the organization of communication between departments and business units.<\/p>\n
The current study also makes it clear that geopolitical and economic developments\u2014such as punitive tariffs and wars\u2014have had an increasingly strong impact on companies since the last study was conducted. 94.8 percent of respondents stated that these developments had also influenced the transformation.<\/p>\n
Requirements related to data or technology sovereignty were cited most frequently, with 72.1 percent of mentions. 44.6 percent cited geopolitical tensions or security aspects as factors that had influenced the transformation. 44.3 percent cited energy and industrial policy as an external influencing factor.<\/p>\n
The study also provides insights into the key success factors of an IT transformation project: With 35.2 percent of responses, \u201ctransformation expertise\u201d ranks first, closely followed by \u201ctransparency regarding all relevant data\u201d at 34.4 percent and \u201ccontinuity within the project team\u201d at 32.1 percent.<\/p>\n
And what would participants in the transformation process do differently in the future? This year, for the first time, \u201cAI\u201d was included as a response option and immediately took first place: 34.2 percent of respondents would rely more heavily on the use of AI in the future.<\/p>\n
Close behind, at 32.3 percent, is the desire to focus more strongly on the most critical processes following migration. Optimizing cross-departmental communication is nearly tied at 32.1 percent. 30.1 percent would invest more in data quality.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuccessful IT transformations are achieved above all where strategic objectives, clean data, realistic planning, robust methodology, and consistent change management work in tandem,\u201d the authors write. The 2026 Transformation Study is intended to help raise awareness of the challenges, take the necessary measures, and learn from others in order to do better. The next Transformation Study will be published in 2027.<\/p>\n
– – – – –<\/p>\n
\ud83d\udc49 www.sap.com<\/a> August 11, 2026. Sixty percent of companies cite the adoption of new technologies, such as AI, as the main reason for their IT transformation. This is one of the findings of the latest 2026 Transformation Study, conducted by SAP consulting firm NTT DATA Business Solutions in collaboration with transformation specialist Natuvion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4764],"tags":[4759,2043,1982,2016],"class_list":["post-543320","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-software-en","tag-artificial-intelligence-ai","tag-digitalization","tag-resilience","tag-software-development"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\ud83d\udc49 To the Study<\/a>
Graphic: NTT DATA<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"