What does it take to make transformation work in the real world?
I ended my last post with the question above, which kept coming up in conversations throughout Sapphire. The more I thought about it afterward, the more I wanted to come back to it and try to articulate an answer. Not a definitive answer, but one grounded in what I heard from customers and what I’ve learned over the years.
If there’s one consistent theme, it’s that success isn’t defined by a single transformation milestone. It’s built through a series of deliberate, practical steps that are often slower and less visible than expected but ultimately more sustainable.
Across roundtables, demos, and one-on-one conversations, it was clear organizations don’t struggle with ambition. They know where they want to go. The challenge is bridging the gap between that vision and what can realistically be executed within their current system landscape.
From strategy to execution
One of the biggest shifts is a growing focus on translating strategy into concrete use cases early on. Rather than refining high-level transformation roadmaps for months, teams that are making progress are grounding their efforts in specific business questions. For example, how to improve cost transparency, model different financial scenarios, or better understand profitability drivers. These use cases create a tangible starting point and help maintain momentum.
Working within system realities
There’s also a greater awareness of working within system realities rather than trying to overhaul them entirely. Clean core is no longer just a guiding principle, it is a core value. It’s a constraint that actively shapes decision-making and is pushing organizations to think more carefully about where to differentiate, where to standardize, and how to avoid introducing unnecessary complexity.
Progress through iteration
Another shift is the move away from big-bang transformation approaches. There is less appetite for large, all-at-once change, and more emphasis on iteration. Incremental progress delivered in smaller, measurable steps is becoming the preferred path. It allows organizations to validate assumptions, adjust as needed, and build confidence over time.
Context over blueprints
What stood out most was the importance of context. There is no one-size-fits-all path to transformation. What works in one organization doesn’t automatically translate to another, even within the same industry. Progress tends to come from aligning transformation efforts with how the business operates, including its processes, constraints, and priorities, rather than applying a predefined model.
In that sense, making transformation work in the real world is not about getting everything right up front. It’s not about standardization and re-use of existing content/use cases. It’s about building momentum, one use case at a time, and continuously connecting strategy back to execution in a way that reflects reality.
