The Line Between a Project and a Transformation
The Line Between a Project and a Transformation
How We Know When It’s Time to Step In
There’s a moment in almost every client engagement when the language starts to shift. A project that began with technical scope (new CRM, global rollout, AI-enabled dashboards) starts to surface something deeper. Misaligned processes. Hidden friction between functions. Unclear goals that no one has dared to rewrite.
That’s when we know: this isn’t just a project.
Executives often call us in thinking they need help delivering a system. What they actually need is help seeing the system. Because when technology touches how people work, how decisions get made, how revenue is generated, that’s transformation territory. And if you don’t treat it as such, you end up with delivered software that doesn’t solve the business problem.
In this piece, I’ll walk through how we spot the difference between a project and a transformation and why getting that distinction right saves millions in sunk cost, lost time, and missed opportunity.
Defining the Line
Transformation is one of the most overused words in the industry and one of the least understood.
A transformation isn’t just a big project. It’s a fundamental shift in how a business or department operates. It requires rethinking how value is created, how people work, and how success is measured.
Here’s how we frame the difference:
Transformation is a considerable effort. It asks better questions. It makes visible the cross-functional dependencies. It forces you to clarify your business goals before locking in your technical roadmap.
We know it’s transformation, not just a project, when the change touches multiple teams, shifts decision rights, or requires new ways of working. That’s also when we step in.
Two Real Examples
1. LogicMonitor CPQ Implementation: The Project That Was Actually a Sales Transformation
What they asked for: help implementing a CPQ solution.
What they really needed: to fix a broken sales process. Sales reps were building quotes manually, approvals were slow, and no one had a standard definition of what "good revenue" looked like.
We helped them redesign not just the quoting tool, but the way they structured deals, defined approval workflows, and measured sales performance. The outcome? Faster revenue realization, more consistent pricing, and a shared language across sales and finance. That’s transformation.
2. CRMDell / Salesforce Global Rollout: When a System Becomes the Spine
On paper, this was a global expansion of Salesforce. In practice, it was a complete restructuring of how the clientDell managed its go-to-market model across regions.
We helped reconcile regional workflows, streamline data definitions, and create a governance model that gave global visibility without choking local agility. The platform was the vehicle, but the transformation was operational.
The Signals We Listen For
After years in the field, there are telltale signs that what looks like a project is actually something bigger:
“We just need to get this launched.” (Translation: No one’s owning the business outcome.)
“We’ll fix the data later.” (Translation: It’s going to break during adoption.)
“Our VP’s running this on the side.” (Translation: No executive sponsor. No alignment.)
We ask different questions:
How will you measure business value, not just technical delivery?
Who’s impacted by this, not just who’s involved?
What decisions will this change require?
When those questions go unanswered, we don’t expand scope. We reset strategy.
What Happens When We Step In
We’re not here to do the SI’s job. We’re here to make sure the SI is solving the right problem.
That means helping sponsors clarify what success looks like, how to align teams around shared outcomes, and where the risks are hiding beneath the surface.
When we step in:
Scope gets sharper.
Metrics get clearer.
Friction gets named and addressed early.
The same budget delivers more value, not by working harder, but by thinking better.
Writing on the Wall
If your project is starting to feel like more than a project, it probably is.
And that’s not a risk. It’s an opportunity to align smarter, execute cleaner, and get more from the investments you’re already making.
We’ve helped companies step back, ask the right questions, and deliver transformation where others delivered chaos. If you're seeing the signs, let’s talk.
