Today, we talk a lot about digital transformation. Yet after years of investment, one question remains: has it really delivered on its promises?

At a time when all companies have access to the same technologies, the same tools, and often rely on the same market models and sources of information, differentiation is becoming not only more difficult, but also more essential than ever. If the means are becoming standardised, the real difference no longer lies in the technology itself, but in the strategy that guides it and its ability to create real value for both the business and the customer.

Perhaps this is where the limitation of many transformation projects carried out so far lies, not in a lack of tools, but in a lack of strategic perspective, vision, and sometimes the ability to break away from established models. Too often, transformation has focused on the means, tools, platforms, and data, without always translating those investments into concrete impact: improved customer experience, operational gains, measurable value creation, or new services.

So, should we rethink digital transformation? Have we moved from a logic of innovation to a logic of optimisation? And above all, where does real value creation lie today, both for companies and their customers?

At Golden-I 2026 for the first time, we welcomed a panel of experts to share their views infront of an audience of serior Tech professionals all from end user organisations.The event began by asking the audience three questions, and the answers were somewhat surprising:

• If we compare your organisation’s digital transformation to a journey to the moon, where are you?
  o “Have launched but not left the Earth’s atmosphere”
• What is the motivation for your continued transformation today?
  o “We must change or die”
• Why has your company not implemented Agentic AI yet?
  o “Don’t know which processes best fit Agentic AI”

This was followed by a lively panel discussion featuring:

Frank Niatel, Panel Host and Head of Hyperautomation and Digital Lab at Fujitsu Luxembourg. Yannick Huchard to provide an end-user perspective, the CTO and Foyer Group’s Head of EA, Technology & IT Strategy. Sébastien Wiertz, End-user perspective, AVP at the industrial group Paul Wurth.

The panel discussion focused on the fact that many digital transformation projects in the past have primarily aimed to improve operational efficiency rather than aspirationally improve services for clients. It was apparent that many in the audience had already experienced multiple transformation programmes with varying degrees of success. So why are so many transformations unsuccessful? Yannick Huchard commented:

“All successful digital transformations, the ones that continue to deliver over time, share the same properties:

1. A clear vision
2. Architectural clarity
3. Focus discipline
4. Technology mastery
5. Maintained expertise”

Sébastien Wiertz commented that in the industrial sector you cannot expect all clients to have the same level of digital adoption, nor the same appreciation of the value of digital services. It is all about value in the minds of clients.

The current wave of Agentic AI is a good illustration of this. Just because users have a good experience with AI tools at home does not always translate into clarity of vision of Agentic AI adoption within their businesses. Data governance, the topic of the next masterclass was also raised here as a significant challenge. The panel also highlighted the trade-off between innovation, for example allowing teams to use the latest software versus the reliability of legacy systems.

All transformation, by definition, can require teams to change the way they work. To increase the chances of adoption, buy-in is needed from the very beginning, however, Frank Niatel commented that gathering customer feedback early in the process is also critical, as this feedback loop plays a key role in the long-term success of a project.

“Our role as technology leaders within our organisations is to provide clarity of vision. Although Agentic AI adoption requires a clinical analysis of processes, organisational change also involves people.”