HomeResearch & Knowledgeback to HomeDigitalback to Research & KnowledgeCelonis: Building a lean digital ecosystemback to Digital

Case Study

Celonis: Building a lean digital ecosystem

By Carlos Cordon, Benoit F. Leleux and Marc Chauvet

16 pages

August 2022

Order this case study

Reference: IMD-7-2286

To maintain its position as the category leader in process mining and execution management, Celonis needed to be able to facilitate – or even automate – corrective measures on these processes to edge closer to process mining nirvana, i.e. a fully automated, intelligent and real-time execution management system (EMS). But how to determine the right balance between features that were best developed in-house and those that could rely on its growing ecosystem of partners? Would the team be able to manage the explosive growth following the onboarding of so many partners? Celonis had created tools to bring the Lean philosophy into the digital age, but would the new ecosystem be enough to launch it into orbit?

Learning Objective

Introduce the concept of Lean and how it is applied in the digital space
Illustrate how to assess an organization’s gaps
Showcase how to build an ecosystem of partners and some of the underlying challenges

Keywords

Strategy, Digital Transformation, Disruption, Entrepreneurship, Operations, Production, Lean Management, Ecosystem, Big Data, Process Management, Data Mining, Consultancy, Scale-up, Growth Management, Start-up, Technology Management, Digital

Settings

World/global, Germany
Celonis, Business Management Services, Consultancy
2015-2022

Type

Field Research

Available Languages

English

Related material

Teaching note, Video

IMD case studies are distributed through case clearing houses. In order to browse the collection and purchase copies please visit the links below.

The Case Centre

Cranfield University

Wharley End Beds MK43 0JR, UK
Tel +44 (0)1234 750903
Email [email protected]

Harvard Business School Publishing

60 Harvard Way, Boston MA 02163, USA
Tel (800) 545-7685 Tel (617)-783-7600
Fax (617) 783-7666
Email [email protected]

Asia Pacific Case Center

NUCB Business School

1-3-1 Nishiki Naka
Nagoya Aichi, Japan 460-0003
Tel +81 52 20 38 111
Email [email protected]

IMD retains all proprietary interests in its case studies and notes. Without prior written permission, IMD cases and notes may not be reproduced, used, translated, included in books or other publications, distributed in any form or by any means, stored in a database or in other retrieval systems. For additional copyright information related to case studies, please contact Case Services.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

This case study is part of a series

2023 John Molson MBA International Case Writing Competition - 3rd Prize

This case study is part of a series

Keep reading

Video

Founderful: ‘Ideas are a commodity. Execution is everything.’

In episode six of Tech for Good, Edouard Treccani, principal at Founderful, a Swiss pre-seed Venture Capital fund founded in 2019, discusses its mi...

From Black Hawks to digital threads: Lessons in digital transformation from aerospace engineering

Discover how aerospace veteran Mike Ambrose led digital transformation at Sikorsky, emphasizing digital integration and the "X before you X" approa...

Business Transformation Digital Innovation

By Didier Bonnet

in I by IMD

Article

«Founder mode»: che cos’è, perché può spaccare la Silicon Valley (e segnare la fine dell’era del management)

September 2024 marks a turning point in the world of corporate management. Paul Graham, a prominent figure in Silicon Valley and founder of Y Combi...

Family Business Leadership Innovation Disruption

By Alfredo De Massis and Paolo Lacchè

in Corriere della Sera

30 September 2024

Article

AI is working its way into smartphones, but some tools could be subverted for misinformation

Artificial intelligence (AI) has already transformed how we work and communicate. Now, it’s making its way into our pockets. Apple launched its iPh...

Artificial Intelligence Technology Management Disruption Organizational Learning

By José Parra Moyano

in The Conversation

18 September 2024

Article

Haier's AI evolution: Charting the course for GE appliances

GE Appliances was named one of the Most Innovative Companies in the consumer goods category by Fast Company, largely due to their cutting-edge smar...

Artificial Intelligence Disruption Technology Management

By Mark J. Greeven

in Forbes.com

13 September 2024

Article

Europe’s Digital Markets Act: Bold reform or stifling regulation?

As the EU enforces the Digital Markets Act, tech giants face strict new rules aimed at curbing their dominance – but critics warn the move could st...

Article

Rethinking design thinking in hybrid workplaces

Design thinking is an experience-based and user-centric method for solving problems. This human-centered approach engages end-users and employees i...

Organizational Design Workplace Well-being Digital

By Tomoko Yokoi

in Forbes.com

6 September 2024

Article

Digital product innovation within family firms: A construal level perspective

Digital product innovation (DPI) is critical for the survival of firms, especially those operating in traditional industrial-age industries. While ...

Family Business Digital Innovation

By Paolo Capolupo, Lorenzo Ardito, Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli, Nadine Kammerlander and Alfredo De Massis

in Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice

28 August 2024, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1177/10422587241268029

Article

How Huawei is rivaling Nvidia in GenAI

The global race for dominance in generative AI is intensifying, with tech giants vying for supremacy in this transformative arena. While U.S. compa...

Artificial Intelligence China Technology Management Digital

By Mark J. Greeven

in Forbes.com

21 August 2024

Video

International SOS’s Arnaud Vaissié: ‘The job of a CEO is to be a stress absorber’

Arnaud Vaissié of International SOS shares how the firm’s resilience and innovation have driven its 40-year success amid crises, from financial sho...

Crisis Management Entrepreneurship Innovation Leadership

in I by IMD

From Black Hawks to digital threads: Lessons in digital transformation from aerospace engineering

By Didier Bonnet
in I by IMD

Summary

Discover how aerospace veteran Mike Ambrose led digital transformation at Sikorsky, emphasizing digital integration and the "X before you X" approa...

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Business Transformation

Digital

Innovation

Browse all topics

«Founder mode»: che cos’è, perché può spaccare la Silicon Valley (e segnare la fine dell’era del management)

By Alfredo De Massis and Paolo Lacchè
in Corriere della Sera 30 September 2024

Summary

September 2024 marks a turning point in the world of corporate management. Paul Graham, a prominent figure in Silicon Valley and founder of Y Combi...

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Family Business

Leadership

Innovation

Disruption

Browse all topics

AI is working its way into smartphones, but some tools could be subverted for misinformation

By José Parra Moyano
in The Conversation 18 September 2024

Summary

Artificial intelligence (AI) has already transformed how we work and communicate. Now, it’s making its way into our pockets. Apple launched its iPh...

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Artificial Intelligence

Technology Management

Disruption

Organizational Learning

Browse all topics

Haier's AI evolution: Charting the course for GE appliances

By Mark J. Greeven
in Forbes.com 13 September 2024

Summary

GE Appliances was named one of the Most Innovative Companies in the consumer goods category by Fast Company, largely due to their cutting-edge smar...

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Artificial Intelligence

Disruption

Technology Management

Browse all topics

Rethinking design thinking in hybrid workplaces

By Tomoko Yokoi
in Forbes.com 6 September 2024

Summary

Design thinking is an experience-based and user-centric method for solving problems. This human-centered approach engages end-users and employees i...

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Organizational Design

Workplace Well-being

Digital

Browse all topics

Digital product innovation within family firms: A construal level perspective

By Paolo Capolupo Lorenzo Ardito Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli Nadine Kammerlander and Alfredo De Massis
in Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 28 August 2024, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1177/10422587241268029

Summary

Digital product innovation (DPI) is critical for the survival of firms, especially those operating in traditional industrial-age industries. While ...

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Family Business

Digital

Innovation

Browse all topics

How Huawei is rivaling Nvidia in GenAI

By Mark J. Greeven
in Forbes.com 21 August 2024

Summary

The global race for dominance in generative AI is intensifying, with tech giants vying for supremacy in this transformative arena. While U.S. compa...

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Artificial Intelligence

China

Technology Management

Digital

Browse all topics

International SOS’s Arnaud Vaissié: ‘The job of a CEO is to be a stress absorber’

in I by IMD

Summary

Arnaud Vaissié of International SOS shares how the firm’s resilience and innovation have driven its 40-year success amid crises, from financial sho...

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Crisis Management

Entrepreneurship

Innovation

Leadership

Browse all topics