You Can’t Outsource Digital Transformation

You Can’t Outsource Transformation—Here’s Why That Matters

There’s a mindset shift every B2B manufacturer and distributor has to make if they want to lead, not lag, through digital transformation.

You can outsource execution.
But you can’t outsource responsibility.

Hiring a VP of eCommerce? Smart move. Bringing in outside consultants? Might be necessary.
But if you think digital transformation is “the digital team’s job,” you’ve missed the point.

This isn’t about spinning up a department. It’s about rewiring how your company creates value—and that starts with the people already in the room: your executive team.

Digital Transformation Is Not a Department

Here’s what we see all the time:
A company decides to “go digital,” hires a VP of eCommerce or builds a digital team… then expects them to drive change across every function of the business.

But those digital folks don’t run ops. They don’t set pricing. They don’t decide what customers to prioritize or how field sales are compensated.

They’re not in charge of your business.
You are.

Digital transformation doesn’t begin with a tool or a platform. It begins with a new way of thinking across leadership—starting with questions like:

• How do we deliver more value to our customers with fewer touchpoints?
• Where are we adding friction that could be automated?
• What would it look like to serve customers on their terms, not ours?

Transformation is mindset first, technology second.

What Leading Looks Like—in Practice

This isn’t abstract. It’s deeply operational. Let’s break it down:

• CEO: You set the tone. Digital is a lever for growth, loyalty, and margin—not just “IT stuff.” It belongs in your board-level conversations.
• COO: Ask how digital reduces operational drag. Fulfillment, logistics, service—all ripe for smarter workflows and automation.
• CFO: Quote-to-cash is full of friction. Digital tools can make payments faster, forecasting sharper, and data more visible.
• CMO: It’s not about campaigns. It’s about using digital to build ongoing engagement and drive customer adoption.
• Sales Leadership: Digital doesn’t eliminate reps, it removes the transactional work so reps can be more strategic and consultative.

Every functional leader should be asking:
How can digital make my team work better—for the customer and for the bottom line?

The Role of the Digital Team (Hint: It’s Not to Lead)

So where does the digital team fit in?

They’re your partners.
Your builders.
Your enablers.

They bring the how, the platforms, data, integrations, and experience design.

But the what, the business strategy, the customer promise, the outcomes that matter? That’s on the leadership team.

When you define what needs to change, the digital team can help you make it real.

But if you wait for them to lead transformation, you’ll be waiting a long time.

This Isn’t Optional

Let’s land it clearly:

Digital transformation isn’t something you hand off. It’s not a one-time launch. It’s not a site refresh.

It’s a continuous commitment to run your business better, smarter tools, better data, lower friction, and more value to your customers.

And the companies who win tomorrow? They’re already led by executives fluent in how digital supports their strategy today.

Not digital specialists.
Digitally fluent leaders.