I’m reminded of Trigger’s broom from Only Fools and Horses.
He proudly claimed it was 20 years old…
Despite the fact it had 17 new heads and 14 new handles!
And for someone who recruits into business transformation, technology and business change, it raises a question.
If you upgrade the ERP.
Then implement a new CRM.
Then introduce automation and AI tools.
At what point is it actually a Transformation?
Or have we just replaced parts of the broom?
This article covers:
- What is business transformation
- Why digital transformation in only the most visible piece
- The different between an ERP transformation and an upgrade
- A target operation model transformation
- Why so many transformation projects struggle
- The talent factor in business transformation
- What actual business transformation looks like
The T word is everywhere
Over the last 25 years recruiting into ERP and major Change Programmes across the UK, I’ve seen the word Transformation used an awful lot.
- Cloud migrations
- SAP S4HANA upgrades
- Shared service launches
- Target Operating Model redesigns
- Cost reduction initiatives
- Digital pilots
Everything can become a transformation programme.
But not all change is necessarily transformation.
Sometimes it is modernisation.
Sometimes it is optimisation.
Sometimes it is a technical issue finally being addressed.
And sometimes it is a genuine shift in how an organisation operates.
These distinctions matter, particularly when hiring the people to lead it.
What is business transformation?
Business transformation is broader than technology.
It involves coordinated change across multiple dimensions:
- Strategy
- Operating model
- Processes
- Systems
- People
- Governance
- Culture
- Leadership behaviour
Ultimately, business transformation is about alignment.
Clarity on why the organisation is changing.
A realistic roadmap for how it will happen.
And visible leadership behind what needs to shift.
Without that alignment, transformation quickly becomes just another programme plan.
Milestones get ticked off.
Systems go live.
But the underlying performance does not materially move.
Sustainable transformation is not about activity.
It is about outcome.
And outcome is what boards ultimately measure.
Digital Transformation is only one piece
Digital Transformation is often the most visible layer of any business transformation.
New platforms.
Automation.
Data analytics.
AI.
Customer portals.
And yes, digital can absolutely accelerate change as the enabler of transformation.
But technology alone rarely transforms anything.
If leadership behaviours remain the same.
If incentives are unchanged.
If governance does not adapt.
If ways of working do not shift.
Then the new system simply automates old problems.
The most successful transformation programmes take a holistic view.
Technology enables the shift.
It does not define it.
ERP Transformation – when it is and when it is not
In the markets Cedar Stone operates in… manufacturing, FMCG, engineering, logistics, supply chain, retail and utilities… ERP programmes are often labelled ERP transformation.
Sometimes they are.
An ERP implementation can be transformational when it:
- Standardises global processes
- Introduces a new operating model
- Enables better commercial visibility
- Changes accountability structures
- Drives measurable performance improvement
But a like for like upgrade from ECC to S4 or Apps10 to Cloud, is not necessarily transformation. It is evolution.
There is nothing wrong with that, but the hiring profile is probably different.
A system upgrade requires strong delivery capability.
A transformation requires leaders who can shift behaviour and mindset.
Those are not the same skillsets. Although you might need both.
Target operating model transformation
A Target Operating Model redesign is often closer to true transformation.
Centralising finance into shared services.
Redefining supply chain ownership.
Moving from decentralised to group governance.
These shifts impact power structures and decision rights.
That is where resistance typically emerges.
If the technology changes but the informal power dynamics do not, the organisation often defaults back to old habits.
Which is where change fatigue sets in and many programmes stall.
Why so many transformations struggle
Transformation sounds exciting.
In reality, it is difficult, and some studies suggest that only around 12% of business transformations fully achieve their original ambitions.
Not necessarily because the strategy was wrong.
But because organisations underestimate the strain it places on leadership and delivery teams.
Top talent is stretched across BAU and programme work.
Decision making slows.
Energy drops.
Resistance builds quietly.
Transformation is not just a strategic exercise.
It is a capacity test.
And many organisations try to run it on already overloaded teams.
The talent factor
In my experience, the difference between success and failure in a genuine transformation often comes down to the calibre of people leading it.
Transformation requires:
- Programme Directors who can balance politics and delivery
- ERP leaders who understand process as well as technology
- Transformation Directors who can align strategy to execution
- Change specialists focused on behaviour, not just comms
- PMO leads who enforce governance discipline
- And visible drive from the very top
Hiring purely for system knowledge is rarely enough.
The organisations that succeed tend to hire for influence, resilience and alignment capability as much as technical expertise.
That is particularly true in UK mid market organisations, where resources are tighter and leadership teams are closer to operational detail.
So when is it not a transformation?
Arguably, it may not be a transformation when:
- The strategy has not shifted
- The operating model remains unchanged
- Decision rights stay the same
- Incentives are not aligned
- Behaviour does not adapt
If you have replaced parts of the broom, but the organisation fundamentally operates as it did before, it may be improvement.
It may be modernisation, which is fine.
But it is not necessarily transformation.
A higher bar
True transformation changes how an organisation behaves after the programme ends.
It changes:
- Accountability
- Transparency
- Commercial visibility
- Customer interaction
- Leadership expectations
That is a much higher bar than a system go live.
At Cedar Stone, we support organisations hiring into digital and business transformation programmes and ERP programmes across the UK.
Whether it is a Transformation Director, Programme Lead, ERP specialist or Change professional, clarity on what you are actually trying to deliver makes hiring significantly easier.
And significantly more effective.
Because sometimes it is a new broom.
And sometimes it is just a new handle.
- Website: https://cedarstonerec.com/contact
- Email : peter@cedarstonerec.com
- Call : 020 4600 7766
