Navigating the Future of M&A Strategy

There’s a scene that plays out in boardrooms across industries every day. A CEO sits across from a group of consultants who have just unveiled their plan for a “digital transformation.” It’s sleek, loaded with jargon, and filled with the promise of AI, blockchain, and cloud computing. The CEO looks at the slide deck, then back at the team, and asks, “But will my people actually use this?” That question—simple but critical—is what separates success from failure in strategic technology consulting today.

For years, technology was the shiny object. Leaders chased the latest tools, often with little thought about how those tools connected to their business or their culture. That’s changing. Organizations are beginning to realize that the success of any transformation isn’t about the technology itself; it’s about how people—employees, customers, and stakeholders—embrace and interact with it. Take what happened when a major healthcare provider wanted to expand telehealth services. Their consultants didn’t start by recommending platforms. Instead, they spent weeks talking to nurses, doctors, and patients. They uncovered a surprising truth: patients weren’t resistant to telehealth because of technology; they were resistant because they felt rushed and unheard during virtual visits. The solution wasn’t just tech; it was retraining providers on how to deliver better virtual care. The result? Adoption rates soared, not because the platform was impressive but because it worked for the people using it.

This shift—toward technology that feels human—is everywhere. AI, for instance, is no longer about futuristic tools dropped into operations. It’s about rethinking entire ways of working. A global manufacturer recently partnered with consultants to use AI on their factory floor. But instead of focusing on automation alone, they started by involving plant managers and engineers, asking what processes slowed them down and what tasks they wished AI could take off their plates. By starting with their people’s pain points, they designed an AI solution that workers saw as a benefit, not a threat.

What’s interesting is how often “legacy systems” have nothing to do with software and everything to do with behavior. Most organizations today are drowning in technology they don’t need—tools layered on top of one another over years, creating bottlenecks and inefficiencies. When Target revamped its digital operations, consultants began by pulling everything apart. They found outdated systems that no one knew how to use and applications solving problems that didn’t exist anymore. Instead of asking what new technology Target needed, they asked what could be cut. It was messy. It required tough decisions. But it worked. The company’s digital transformation didn’t just improve operations; it made their teams’ lives easier.

If there’s one lesson emerging from all of this, it’s that technology consulting is as much about culture as it is about code. Consultants today are no longer just tech experts; they’re facilitators, translators, and occasionally therapists. They help leadership teams figure out what they actually want, and they help employees navigate the fear that often accompanies change. A fintech startup building a blockchain product recently ran into this reality when their developers balked at the complexity of the project. Instead of pushing harder, their consultants pulled back, hosting a series of working sessions to demystify blockchain and rebuild trust in the process. It cost the project a few extra weeks, but it saved it in the long run.

The most successful transformations today don’t feel like technology projects at all. They feel like company-wide conversations about where the business is going and how to get there. Technology just happens to be the engine. A retail executive I spoke with put it this way: “When you get it right, your team stops noticing the technology altogether. It just becomes part of how they work.” That’s the real measure of success—when a new system feels less like a disruption and more like a relief.

So, the next time you’re in a meeting about a “strategic technology initiative,” take a moment to pause. Ask who the technology is really for. Ask whether it makes people’s lives easier. And most importantly, ask if your teams are ready for it. Because the companies that win aren’t the ones with the best tools. They’re the ones where people actually use them.