Digital transformation is like a well-maintained garden — it requires planning, removing obstacles, and continuously developing new opportunities, says Piotr Wegner from Britenet.
Piotr Wegner – he has been working with Britenet for 9 years and in the IT industry for 18. He is an MBA IT graduate from ALK, combining technological knowledge with a degree in social sciences. Passionate about new solutions to old problems.
Britenet, this year’s winner of the Gazelles of Business award, is a Polish company that has been supporting enterprises in effective digitalization and IT technology development for nearly two decades. It specializes in providing IT solutions for clients in both the private and public sectors, offering specialist outsourcing as well as comprehensive project execution. Thanks to extensive expertise in software development, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and CRM systems, Britenet has become a trusted partner for businesses in Poland and across Europe.
The company’s team already consists of over a thousand experts, with competence centers located in Poland’s largest cities as well as in Germany and Belgium. Britenet is dynamically expanding its services, supporting clients from industries such as finance, logistics, automotive, retail, and public administration. Its clients include Rohlig Suus, Education First, AerCap, as well as Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji i Aplikacje Krytyczne. We talk to Piotr Wegner, Solutions Management Director at Britenet, about how to effectively lead digital transformation and what challenges companies must prepare for. He compares digital transformation to a garden.
Digital transformation as a garden – where does this metaphor come from, and what does it say about Britenet’s approach to digitalization?
In an IT environment, just like in a garden, we are dealing with an ecosystem full of diverse, interconnected elements. It’s not just a single flower pot or a row of plants but a complex structure where both old, sprawling trees — representing legacy IT systems — and young, rapidly growing plants — modern technologies — coexist. Taking care of the entire garden requires different tools and approaches tailored to specific system components.
In the IT world, we often fall for trends — blockchain, cloud computing, or artificial intelligence. However, before jumping on the latest technology bandwagon, it is worth considering real business goals and selecting the right solutions accordingly. The Polish market still operates systems from the 1990s. Even some technologies from 2015 are now considered outdated. However, this does not mean they should be immediately replaced. Sometimes, before cutting down an old tree, it is worth checking whether it is still green and full of life. This is the key to effective digital transformation.
Proper change management is also crucial. Many companies either prolong IT transformation processes indefinitely or rush through them superficially, leading to inefficient investments and team frustration. Setting clear goals and measurable indicators, such as return on investment or the time required for implementing new solutions, allows for better planning and monitoring of progress.
Many employees are accustomed to old technological solutions in their organizations. How can teams adapt to changes during digital transformation?
One of the biggest challenges in digital transformation is resistance to change. Many organizations employ individuals who have been using familiar, often outdated systems for years and feel comfortable with them. Often, these are experts who have built these solutions with their own hands and have an emotional attachment to them. On the other hand, younger generations entering the job market prefer modern, more agile tools. This creates both a generational and technological gap that can slow down the development of an entire organization.
How to address this? Just as in a garden, you can’t simply cut down old trees — meaning, you can’t instantly abandon existing systems and impose entirely new solutions. Not only would this face resistance from teams, but it could also threaten business stability. The key is to introduce changes gradually, with respect for past achievements and employees’ experience. Britenet’s approach is based on dialogue and education. Teams should be shown the specific benefits of new technologies and given time to adapt. We often pair senior specialists with younger programmers, allowing for a natural exchange of knowledge and a gradual transition to modern solutions.
The IT industry has been struggling with a shortage of specialists for years. How can companies tackle this challenge?
The shortage of qualified IT specialists, particularly in areas such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data analysis, and cybersecurity, is a challenge for most companies undergoing digital transformation. Staffing shortages not only delay projects but also overburden existing teams and limit the ability to implement innovations.
Companies outside the IT sector often struggle to find the right experts on the market — recruitment is time-consuming, expensive, and requires knowledge of technological specifics. This is why more organizations are choosing to collaborate with technology partners like Britenet. With our extensive network of specialists and experience in IT recruitment, we can quickly provide the right expertise tailored to a project’s needs.
The past few years have brought many unexpected challenges for businesses, including the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. How can companies manage unpredictable factors to successfully lead digital transformation?
Returning to the garden metaphor, it must also withstand unpredictable conditions such as sudden frosts or droughts. The key to maintaining it in good condition is regular care — raking leaves, pruning branches, and enriching the soil. Thanks to this, plants become stronger and more resistant to changing conditions. The same applies to IT organizations. If a company takes care of its systems on an ongoing basis, regularly updates software, creates backups, and adapts to changing regulations, it becomes much more flexible and ready for unforeseen crises.
A great example is DORA — an EU regulation affecting the financial and technology sectors. Although companies have known about the new requirements for years, many were not adequately prepared and were caught off guard. This is a perfect example of how "changing weather" in business most affects organizations that have neglected their IT structures.
Britenet’s approach is based on systematically caring for the "digital garden" — regularly monitoring systems, implementing best cybersecurity practices, and adjusting to evolving regulations. This enables our clients to respond flexibly to crises and successfully carry out digital transformation, regardless of circumstances.
To summarize, what key steps should organizations take to build a healthy and stable IT ecosystem?
At Britenet, we believe that a healthy IT ecosystem, just like a well-maintained garden, requires three key actions. The first step is eliminating outdated technologies and processes that hinder an organization’s growth. Regular IT audits help identify systems that are inefficient or soon to be unsupported. This way, instead of abruptly cutting down the entire tree, we can gradually and safely introduce new solutions without disrupting the ecosystem’s stability.
The second step is strengthening the technological foundations and fostering collaboration between IT teams and business units. Only when IT and business work together can we create an environment that encourages innovation. The final step is implementing new technologies, such as AI or cloud computing, but in a thoughtful manner tailored to the organization’s specifics. At Britenet, we always emphasize that not every company needs exotic palm trees — sometimes, solid Polish oaks best meet market needs.
