HomeResearch & Knowledgeback to HomeDigitalback to Research & KnowledgeDigital Business Transformationback to Digital

Report

Digital Business Transformation

A Conceptual Framework

By Michael R. Wade

16 pages

June 2015

Download full report

PRINTABLE PDF – 4MB

There is a great deal of hype these days about ‘digital transformation’ – the term is often used but rarely defined. And although it can be summarized simply as ‘organizational change through the use of digital technologies and business models to improve performance’ – Digital Business Transformation is far more than this – it generally implies a holistic reimagining of the entire enterprise to focus on the value delivered to customers.

Meanwhile, new digital competitors and start-ups focus on precisely that: the value delivered to the customer – be it cost value, experience value or platform value, and increasingly in combination. In such circumstances, tweaking an existing value chain is unlikely to be enough. To win in the Digital Vortex, companies must be dynamic enough to understand the risks disruptors pose to their business and bold enough to be able to grasp the requirement for their own digital transformation.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Keep reading

Article

How to avoid the pitfalls of AI

The development and adoption of AI are fraught with potential hazards. Here’s how to avoid the pitfalls of AI and ensure trust in your systems.

Technology Management

By José Parra Moyano

in I by IMD

Podcast

GenAI and Healthcare with Achim Plueckebaum

AI in healthcare takes center stage in this edition of the I by IMD podcast, as Mike and Amit are joined by Achim Plueckebaum to explore its future.

Innovation Technology Management

By Michael R. Wade and Amit M. Joshi

in I by IMD

Article

Making the old new again through the process of recombinant innovation

Recombinant innovation—the process through which atypical and unexpected combinations of knowledge generate novel outcomes—is a critical driver of organizational distinctiveness and market transformation. While prior research has focused on firm- ...

Innovation Organizational Change

By Vittoria Magrelli, Josip Kotlar, Alfredo De Massis, Federico Frattini and Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli

in Journal of Product Innovation Management

4 September 2025, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.70003

Podcast

How Hindustan Unilever is winning over India’s middle class

Rohit Jawa, CEO of Hindustan Unilever, shares how HUL is leveraging digital, talent, and innovation to serve India’s growing middle class.

Digital Strategy Talent Management

By Jean-François Manzoni

in I by IMD

Article

Can AI ever be “just another teammate”?

As AI grows more capable, HR leaders must carefully weigh its impact on team dynamics before treating it as just another teammate, says IMD’s Ginka Toegel.

Team Technology Management

By Ginka Toegel

in I by IMD

Podcast

The future of Edge AI, with Tomoko Yokoi

Explore Edge AI with Tomoko Yokoi on the IMD Podcast—how running AI on devices boosts speed, saves bandwidth, and transforms industries from health to 6G.

Innovation Technology Management

By Michael R. Wade and Amit M. Joshi

in I by IMD

Article

Mercuria - A Vision for Navigating Volatility

Guillaume Vermersch, CFO of Mercuria, shares how strategic agility, tech, and sustainability shape modern finance in global energy and commodities trading.

Finance Leadership Strategy Sustainability Technology Management

in I by IMD

Article

AI maturity in manufacturing: lessons from the most successful firms - IMD business school for management and leadership courses

Learn how leading manufacturers are using AI to boost innovation, performance, and competitive advantage.

Technology Management

By Tomoko Yokoi and Michael R. Wade

in I by IMD

Article

Knowledge Scientists - Optimize AI

Knowledge scientists may be the key to unlocking AI's full value, offering transparency and structure that data scientists alone can't provide, says IMD’s Tomoko Yokoi.

Data Analytics Finance Technology Management

By Tomoko Yokoi

in I by IMD

Article

AI agents and agentic systems: A multi-expert analysis

The emergence of AI agents and agentic systems represents a significant milestone in artificial intelligence, enabling autonomous systems to operate, learn, and collaborate in complex environments with minimal human intervention. This paper, drawi...

Artificial Intelligence Digital

By Laurie Hughes, Yogesh K. Dwivedi, Tegwen Malik, Michael R. Wade and et al.

in Journal of Computer Information Systems

August 2025, vol. 65, no. 4, pp. 489-517, https://doi.org/10.1080/08874417.2025.2483832

Making the old new again through the process of recombinant innovation

By Vittoria Magrelli Josip Kotlar Alfredo De Massis Federico Frattini and Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli
in Journal of Product Innovation Management 4 September 2025, ePub before print, https://doi.org/10.1111/jpim.70003

Summary

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Innovation

Organizational Change

Browse all topics

How Hindustan Unilever is winning over India’s middle class

By Jean-François Manzoni
in I by IMD

Summary

Rohit Jawa, CEO of Hindustan Unilever, shares how HUL is leveraging digital, talent, and innovation to serve India’s growing middle class.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Digital

Strategy

Talent Management

Browse all topics

Mercuria - A Vision for Navigating Volatility

in I by IMD

Summary

Guillaume Vermersch, CFO of Mercuria, shares how strategic agility, tech, and sustainability shape modern finance in global energy and commodities trading.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Finance

Leadership

Strategy

Sustainability

Technology Management

Browse all topics

Knowledge Scientists - Optimize AI

By Tomoko Yokoi
in I by IMD

Summary

Knowledge scientists may be the key to unlocking AI's full value, offering transparency and structure that data scientists alone can't provide, says IMD’s Tomoko Yokoi.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Data Analytics

Finance

Technology Management

Browse all topics

AI agents and agentic systems: A multi-expert analysis

By Laurie Hughes Yogesh K. Dwivedi Tegwen Malik Michael R. Wade and et al.
in Journal of Computer Information Systems August 2025, vol. 65, no. 4, pp. 489-517, https://doi.org/10.1080/08874417.2025.2483832

Summary

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Artificial Intelligence

Digital

Browse all topics