We recently spoke with Shoeb Javed, Chief Product Officer at iGrafx, to gather his thoughts on digital transformation and the role of Digital Twin of an Organization (DTO) technology in driving these efforts.
Question: What does digital transformation mean to you?
Shoeb Javed: Digital transformation is fundamentally about using technology to enhance business outcomes across the entire ecosystem—customers, employees, suppliers, partners, and beyond. Often, people see it as a one-time, disruptive event, but in my view, transformation is more of an ongoing process of evolution.
At its core, digital transformation is about refining how you operate in response to advances in technology. The specific tools you use are less important than the outcomes you aim to achieve. The focus should be on creating meaningful improvements that align with your business objectives rather than getting caught up in the technology itself.
Question: How do you see companies approaching digital transformation today?
Shoeb Javed: Many organizations are still pursuing transformation in a formal, prescriptive way, often driven by the desire to adopt the latest technologies. The problem with this approach is that it tends to reverse the problem-solution dynamic. Companies are implementing technology first and then looking for problems it can solve, rather than identifying their key challenges and determining how technology can address them.
What’s truly needed is a deep understanding of the business and its challenges. Only then can meaningful improvements be made. The pace of change in technology, business models, and consumer expectations is unprecedented. Companies must continuously adapt to these shifts, rethinking how they operate instead of assuming that any process is ever final or fixed. Constant evolution is now the norm.
Question: What do you see as the primary reasons digital transformation projects fail?
Shoeb Javed: One of the main issues is the tendency to define long-term transformation projects—10 years, 5 years, even 3 years. These strategies rarely succeed. What works is incremental transformation, where value is delivered along the way, and in the process, you end up transforming everything you touch.
A current example is Generative AI. Many companies see it as a panacea, but they rush to adopt it without a clear understanding of the specific problems it can solve. GenAI is incredibly powerful, but only when applied correctly. Otherwise, it’s just another tool that can lead to misguided efforts.
To get real results, you must first understand the business problem. Then you need to align the technology to solve that problem. Tackling only one aspect—either the business or the technology—won’t deliver the return on investment that makes the transformation worthwhile.
Question: Are you optimistic about the future of digital transformation?
Shoeb Javed: Absolutely. The convergence of various technologies has made it possible to achieve what wasn’t even imaginable just a few years ago. Organizations can now undergo continuous transformation. They can build faster, gain real-time visibility into their operations, and make impactful changes that drive business outcomes in ways that were previously out of reach.
I believe we’re on the cusp of a transformation in how businesses use enterprise applications. Traditional systems like ERP and CRM are becoming less central. The focus is shifting towards optimizing processes rather than relying solely on large applications.
These legacy systems may not disappear tomorrow, but their relevance is fading as companies prioritize flexibility and outcome-based approaches.
This is where Digital Twin technology can make a significant impact. It allows organizations to model their processes, simulate changes, and measure the impact before making major investments. By combining DTO with AI, companies can accelerate transformation efforts and realize results much faster.
Question: What does the term “Digital Twin of an Organization” mean to you?
Shoeb Javed: A Digital Twin of an Organization is a digital representation of how your business functions—its systems, people, and processes. Think of it like a model you can manipulate in real-time. Just as a clay model of a car can be reshaped without risk, a digital twin allows you to experiment with your business processes and identify potential improvements.
The scope of a digital twin can vary. It might represent a single process, a department, or the entire organization. Regardless of the scale, its value lies in enabling companies to test changes before committing to them in the real world.
Question: How should companies start building their DTO?
Shoeb Javed: The starting point for building a DTO is to clearly define the problems you want to solve. Identify the areas of your business where changes will drive the most positive outcomes. Once you know which systems and processes are involved, model them. Start small, focusing on one area at a time. Demonstrate value with incremental improvements and then expand from there.
Question: How is iGrafx positioned to lead this next wave of digital transformation?
Shoeb Javed: iGrafx has been at the forefront of process management for over 30 years. We’ve developed the expertise and technology needed to build and maintain Digital Twins, supported by predictive analytics that help organizations make data-driven decisions.
Our platform simplifies the process of building digital twins, keeping them up to date with real-world processes. What sets iGrafx apart is our ability to continually synchronize the digital twin with your actual operations. We also offer advanced conformance checking to ensure that your modeled processes align with what’s happening on the ground.
Digital Transformation with Pia
Recently, we introduced Pia (Process Intelligence Assistant), a Generative AI-powered tool that accelerates the creation of process diagrams from standard operating procedures and natural language conversations. This capability enables companies to quickly document and visualize their processes, making transformation more accessible across the organization. Pia is the true Generative AI assistant for digital transformation.
iGrafx’s end-to-end process intelligence platform empowers everyone in the organization to contribute to business improvements, from functional experts to everyday employees. That democratization of process intelligence is key to driving continuous, meaningful transformation.