Digital Transformation: Don’t Start with the Shiny Stuff

Every so often, a question floats out of the corporateether—perhaps from a CFO poking around LinkedIn or whispering to an AIassistant—and it actually gets me excited.

This time, the message was:

“I’m a CFO working with our COO and CIO on a digital transformation across our fulfillment and logistics operations. We’re looking at platforms to unify WMS, OMS, planning, and intelligence into one system to boost agility and reduce fragmentation.

How do others start their digital transformations at the executive level? How do you align IT and Ops? How do you prioritize, and how do you measure success early on? Also, if you’ve used ABC Solution, did the implementation and ROI live up to the pitch?”

Great question. And an even better reminder: don’t start with technology.

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First Rule of Digital Transformation: Do Discovery

Before you buy software, schedule demos, or fall in love with a vendor’s slick UX, you need to understand your current state. Not on paper. Not in the boardroom. I mean the real, gritty, this-is-how-it-actually-works reality on the warehouse or production floor.

As a consultant, I start every digital transformationengagement with a discovery phase. And so should you.

Here’s what that means:

• What’s     the business advantage to harmonizing systems? Is it speed? Consistency?     Customer satisfaction?
• What’s     broken (or barely hanging on) today?
• What     processes are formal? Which ones get bypassed in practice?
• How do     your frontline employees feel about how things work? Trust me, they’ll     tell you what’s really slowing things down.

And don’t forget:

• Supplier     variability
• Trading     partner demands
• Exception     handling procedures
• Risk     mitigation
• Customer     expectations

This is the stuff that informs your business requirements—not what the vendor tells you their platform can do.

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The C-Suite’s Blind Spot

One hard truth: Most executives I meet haven’t spent real time in their own fulfillment centers or production areas. They’re leading from spreadsheets, not from the floor. So it’s easy to get swept up by a compelling sales pitch promising magical ROI.

Here's the reality: Digital transformation doesn’t deliver results because of the software—it delivers results because you planned and executed well.

So be optimistic, sure. But bring a healthy dose of skepticism. Not everything will go according to plan. And that’s OK—what matters is having a plan based in truth, not in hope.

The Sexy Trap of New Tech

RFID, AI, blockchain, machine learning—the buzzwords areendless. And yes, RFID can be powerful in warehouse ops. But ask yourself:

• Will     it improve delivery times?
• Will     it cut errors or increase throughput?
• Will     your partners benefit too?

Sometimes the ROI is clear. Sometimes it’s a costly distraction. Don’t be dazzled. Be deliberate.

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What the Vendor Wants You to Do

Believe it or not, your software vendor wants you to succeed. Why? Because your failed implementation becomes their cautionary tale—and nobody wants that.

So help them help you:

• Be     clear about your business objectives.
• Define     your requirements from real operational pain points.
• Align     your future state vision with today’s actual workflows.

Because no platform can rescue a company from its own unpreparedness.

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Final Thought

Digital transformation is a marathon—not a purchase order. Do the discovery. Get alignment. Build from the ground up. You’ll thank yourself later.

And if you're wondering whether the sales pitch matches the ROI? That depends entirely on how well you understand what you actually need.

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