April 25, 2025
Manufacturers everywhere understand the digital playbook: Enterprise digital transformation lets them build better customer relationships, which in turn drives growth.
ABB, a global leader in industrial automation and robotics, has been at the forefront of this shift toward customer-centricity, embracing digitalization to enhance customer experiences, drive operational efficiency and harness data-driven insights.
Navigating such a large-scale transformation is no simple feat, especially for a decentralized organization like ABB. Each division operates with a high degree of autonomy, tailoring digital strategies to its specific needs while aligning with overarching corporate priorities.
This approach allows ABB Robotics to implement agile, customer-centric digital solutions while overcoming the structural and technological challenges inherent in digital transformation.
In the webinar below, Boris Fiedler, Global Head of Portfolio & Operations, Software & Digital in ABB’s Robotics Division, shares some of his key insights into the company’s journey — and offers valuable takeaways for manufacturers looking to modernize their operations.
A customer-centric digital strategy
ABB’s enterprise digital transformation is driven by three overarching goals:
-
Seamless customer experience. Enhancing the user journey with self-service capabilities and hybrid sales interactions.
-
Data-driven transparency. Leveraging digital interactions to generate better business insights.
-
Operational efficiency. Reducing costs and improving efficiency through digitization.
Unlike many large organizations, ABB operates with a highly decentralized structure. While the company sets digital priorities, divisions have the autonomy to implement strategies that best suit their specific business needs. This flexibility enables ABB Robotics to focus on making its customer interactions as seamless and efficient as possible.
“It definitely helps [to have] a decentralized strategy on the group level or ABB level because that means we have the freedom to decide ourselves, in the division, what we call distinct systems,” Boris says.
“There are only a very few core systems, which must adhere to financial, accounting, etc. So, sure, those we need to integrate. But on most of the components which are relevant for the digital journey, we decide ourselves, and that creates speed. But at the same time ... we need to build up the competence in the division as well to be able to do it right.”
The enterprise digital transition challenges ABB faced
ABB’s digital transformation is not without hurdles. Some key challenges include:
-
Organizational change. Digital adoption requires active participation from local sales managers and country-specific leadership.
-
Customer hesitation. Many clients in B2B manufacturing remain hesitant to transition from traditional buying habits to online self-service channels.
-
Legacy systems. The presence of multiple ERP systems across different countries slows down integration efforts.
To overcome these challenges, ABB Robotics emphasizes a top-down approach with strong leadership support, measurable KPIs and structured change management.
“We currently work a lot on streamlining our thinking — what are the kinds of systems we might be able to shut down, tough business cases on existing solutions — just to make sure that our run costs are controlled,” Boris says. “Then, of course, freeing up that money to invest again into growth areas.”
Tips for digital success
Based on ABB Robotics’ experience, here are essential takeaways for other manufacturers embarking on a digital transformation:
-
Start with the customer’s perspective. ABB’s success stems from designing their digital journey with the end user in mind. Instead of focusing solely on IT systems, they began with service design principles — creating customer journey maps, developing mockups and engaging with clients early to ensure alignment.
-
Secure executive buy-in. Enterprise digital transformation efforts need clear backing from top leadership. ABB Robotics integrated digital initiatives into their strategic program, ensuring direct involvement from the executive team to drive change and remove roadblocks.
-
Measure and adjust continuously. ABB follows a data-driven approach, tracking metrics such as digital adoption rates, transaction volumes and customer engagement. They are not afraid to discontinue digital projects that fail to deliver value, instead reallocating resources to high-impact areas.
-
Take an agile, incremental approach. Rather than launching large-scale digital initiatives, ABB focused on smaller, incremental projects. For example, their push to improve spare parts identification and online purchasing has been a crucial step toward increasing digital revenue, even if the current contribution remains in single-digit percentages.
-
Foster local adoption. Successful digital rollouts require strong engagement at the local market level. ABB discovered that some regions, such as Poland, were highly motivated to adopt digital solutions, whereas others required more traditional, in-person engagement. Tailoring digital adoption strategies to local market conditions is critical.
Start from a service design principle. Really outside-in. Don't talk about so many IT systems whatever first. Create the mocks. Discuss those. Go to the countries. Go to the customers. Figure out where you can create the biggest value by really showing and telling the story.
— Boris Fiedler, Global Head of Portfolio & Operations, Software & Digital in ABB’s Robotics Division
The road ahead
ABB sees AI as a key enabler of their enterprise digital transformation. Their goal is to enhance guided buying, automate customer interactions and integrate AI-powered recommendations. However, the foundation for AI success lies in high-quality data. ABB is investing heavily in centralizing and standardizing its data lakes to unlock future AI-driven efficiencies.
ABB’s digital transformation journey is a testament to the importance of a structured yet flexible approach: The company remains customer-focused, has secured leadership support, is leveraging data for decision-making and rolling out initiatives incrementally.
The future belongs to connected manufacturers who embrace digital as a strategic necessity rather than an optional investment. For those on the same journey, ABB’s experience serves as both a guide and an inspiration.
Download The Voice of Digital Leaders in Manufacturing
The article above was adapted from our 2025 edition of The Voice of Digital Leaders in Manufacturing. We surveyed more than 100 digital leaders just like Boris for this report. Their responses represent companies that generate more than €500 billion in annual revenue.
This 2025 report is a must-read, wherever you are on your enterprise digital transformation journey. Download your copy here.
