Digital transformation begins with pressure, not technology
For most organisations, the motivation to transform rarely comes from curiosity about technology — it comes from pressure to become more efficient.
That pressure may originate from customers, competitors, or investors, but its symptoms are universal: slowing growth, rising costs, and decision-making lagging behind data.
According to McKinsey’s 2025 Global Transformation Survey, 71% of executives cite “productivity and cost efficiency” as their top objective for digital investment — nearly double the proportion who prioritise innovation or customer experience.
Efficiency has quietly become the organising principle of digital change.
Client-led efficiency: When customer expectations expose waste
Customer expectations have shifted faster than most operating models.
Research by Salesforce (2024) found that 87% of B2B buyers expect real-time service and personalisation on par with consumer platforms.
When businesses cannot meet that standard, inefficiency becomes visible to the client — in response times, fragmented communication, and inconsistent service quality.
In banking, for example, J.P. Morgan’s digital servicing programme reduced customer-service costs by 30% while increasing satisfaction scores after automating 12 million routine interactions per year.
The lesson is not that automation drives efficiency; it’s that customer demand for speed and accuracy exposes the cost of inefficiency.
Market-led efficiency: Competing in an economy of optimisation
In almost every sector, efficiency has become a competitive weapon.
Digital-native firms enter mature markets with near-zero legacy cost, using data and AI to optimise every transaction.
The World Economic Forum estimates that operational efficiency gains from AI and automation could add $14 trillion to global GDP by 2030, largely through productivity improvements in established industries.
Traditional companies are under pressure to match those economics.
UPS, for example, saves an estimated 10 million gallons of fuel annually using route-optimisation algorithms that cut average driver mileage by 6%.
This is not simply digital transformation — it’s efficiency transformation driven by technology adoption at scale.
Business-led efficiency: The internal economics of transformation
Sometimes the signal comes from within.
Boards scrutinising margins and headcount recognise that legacy systems and fragmented data are constraining growth.
According to the Gartner 2025 CIO Agenda, 64% of CIOs report that inefficiencies in process and data integration are the primary blockers to digital ROI.
Consider manufacturing: Siemens implemented an integrated digital thread across product design, supply chain, and maintenance.
By eliminating data hand-offs between systems, they reduced time-to-market for complex products by 25% and cut rework costs by 18%.
The strategic shift is clear — efficiency isn’t a side-effect of transformation; it’s the business case.
Efficiency as strategy, not outcome
Efficiency has historically been viewed as a cost-control measure.
But the evidence shows that efficiency is now the foundation of adaptability — the ability to redeploy resources, experiment faster, and deliver continuous improvement.
A 2025 Harvard Business Review analysis found that organisations achieving top-quartile digital efficiency were five times more likely to sustain transformation benefits beyond three years.
Efficient enterprises aren’t just leaner; they are structurally better positioned to innovate.
The new leadership question
The question for executives is no longer “How do we digitise?” but “Where is efficiency lost — and how can digital capability recover it?”
That reframing moves transformation out of the IT function and into the operating core of the business.
As one FTSE 100 CFO observed in Deloitte’s 2024 CFO Signals Report, “Digital return on investment isn’t measured in apps deployed; it’s measured in throughput per pound of cost.”.
Efficiency, in other words, is now the universal language of digital value.
Closing thought
Every major wave of business change has started with the same trigger: pressure to do more with less.
Digital transformation is no different — it’s simply the latest expression of that quest for efficiency.
Those organisations that treat efficiency as a strategic capability, not a tactical goal, are the ones turning technology into sustained performance improvement.
How Surtori helps organisations translate efficiency into measurable performance
At Surtori, we work with executives who want to move beyond broad digital ambition to measurable business performance improvement.
Through our Fusion Framework™, we help clients:
- Identify where inefficiency originates across operating models and processes.
- Align digital investment directly to ROI and performance metrics.
- Build product to ensure gains and competitive advantage.
- Embed automation and AI capability that delivers sustained operational efficiency.
Our structured methodology ensures transformation isn’t theoretical — it’s measurable.
Because in an era defined by pressure for efficiency, intelligent transformation is the only sustainable advantage.
Surtori. Intelligent Transformation. Proven Impact.
Meta title: Understanding the Demand for Digital Change – Why Efficiency Is the Real Driver
Meta description: Efficiency, not innovation, has become the true motivation for digital transformation. Explore the research behind this shift – and how leading organisations are turning efficiency into long-term competitive advantage.
Keywords: digital efficiency, productivity, transformation strategy, operational performance, McKinsey 2025, Gartner CIO Agenda, Surtori