Digital transformation is no longer a one-time event—it's an ongoing journey. Yet, for many organizations, the initial excitement and value realized from a digital transformation initiative can quickly fade. The post-launch period is often where the greatest risk of value erosion lies, with studies indicating that up to 87.5% of businesses fail to sustain their digital transformation objectives, and the steepest drop in value occurs after the initial release, during the maintenance or operations phase. So, how can organizations avoid this common pitfall and ensure that their digital investments continue to deliver impact and competitive advantage?
After the successful launch of a new digital platform, product, or service, organizations frequently encounter a set of challenges that threaten to undermine the value of their transformation:
The root causes of post-launch value erosion are often intrinsic and addressable. They include insufficient alignment across the organization, inadequate knowledge transfer, and a lack of mechanisms for continuous improvement. The key to overcoming these challenges is to treat digital transformation as an ongoing partnership, not a project with a fixed endpoint.
At Publicis Sapient, we believe that sustaining digital transformation value requires a holistic, operationally focused approach that extends well beyond go-live. Our methodology is anchored in our SPEED capabilities—Strategy, Product, Experience, Engineering, and Data & AI—which work together to ensure that digital solutions are not only launched successfully but are continuously optimized and evolved.
We maintain continuity by involving support engineers and sustainment experts from the outset of the transformation journey. This ensures that the teams responsible for ongoing operations have deep domain and technical knowledge of the systems, preventing the loss of critical insights and enabling faster, more effective issue resolution.
Our Application and Infrastructure Management Services (AIMS) are designed to proactively monitor, maintain, and enhance digital platforms post-implementation. By leveraging tools like the Sustain Engineering Platform (StEP), we provide a unified view of system health, automate routine tasks, and enable self-healing capabilities. This not only reduces mean time to resolve (MTTR) but also frees up internal teams to focus on innovation and value creation.
We establish clear service level agreements (SLAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track platform performance and user experience. Regular monitoring and data-driven insights allow us to identify opportunities for improvement and implement enhancements on an ongoing basis, ensuring that digital solutions remain relevant and effective.
Sustaining value requires breaking down silos and fostering collaboration across strategy, product, engineering, and support teams. Our agile, multidisciplinary approach ensures that feedback loops remain tight, and that the organization can respond rapidly to changing market conditions and customer needs.
Digital transformation is not a destination but a journey of continuous change. We help clients build the muscle for ongoing innovation—whether that means evolving products, integrating new technologies like AI and automation, or reimagining customer and employee experiences. Our SPEED model ensures that every capability is engaged in the pursuit of sustained value.
Our approach has delivered measurable results for clients across sectors:
The most successful organizations are those that view digital transformation as a living, evolving capability. By partnering with Publicis Sapient, you gain access to a team that is committed to your long-term success—one that brings together strategy, engineering, experience, and data to sustain and enhance the value of your digital investments.
Ready to stop value erosion and unlock the full potential of your digital transformation? Let’s connect and build a future where your digital momentum never fades.
Publicis Sapient: Sustaining value, driving innovation, and helping you thrive in the brave pursuit of next.