Business transformation emerges as the new engine of enterprise growth

PEX Network’s key takeaways:

• 79 percent of leaders believe business transformation is key to growth in the short term.
• 87 percent see transformation as the main way to create wider business value.
• 21 percent of organizations fall into the top-performing group of business transformation leaders.

Senior leaders consider business transformation key to driving short-term growth (79 percent) and the leading way to create wider business value (87 percent). That’s according to a new study by Liberty Blume.

Almost two thirds (64 percent) of UK companies surveyed are on the path to business transformation, with many seeing opportunities to accelerate progress by deepening specialist expertise, breaking down functional silos, and making it easier to adopt new technologies.

The report indicates that functions such as procurement and HR have a significant opportunity to modernize and lead strategic transformation, working alongside finance and other leadership teams.

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Enterprise-wide business transformation

The Liberty Blume research shows that business-wide transformation is now a top priority for organizations. This resonates with PEX Network’s own findings.

The PEX Report 2025/26 found that more than half (56 percent) of organizations are deploying enterprise-wide business transformation strategies. Meanwhile, over half of surveyed respondents view business transformation as a mission-critical strategy to help drive growth, manage turnaround, and deliver strategic objectives. 

“We’re well past the ‘transform and done’ mindset,” commented Natalie Douglas, chief financial officer at Liberty Blume. “Companies need to ensure the systems and processes they build enable flexibility and adaptability for whenever change inevitably occurs.”

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4 pillars of business transformation

Liberty Blume’s study identifies ‘business transformation leaders’ and highlights four key pillars that separate frontrunners from laggards.

Just 21 percent of organizations excel by advancing equally across the four pillars of data infrastructure, a skilled and agile workforce, technology integration, and effective change management, according to Liberty Blume.

Business transformation leaders significantly outperform the rest, and are far more likely to report:

• Revenue growth (87 percent compared with 75 percent of other firms).
• Higher employee productivity (83 percent versus 71 percent).
• Improved cost efficiency (83 percent versus 73 percent).
• Profit growth (81 percent versus 72 percent).

These gains are especially relevant for procurement and HR functions seeking to evidence their impact, optimize cost, and strengthen their contribution to strategic decision-making.

“Technology underpins modern transformation and is powered by data, but technology is not a panacea,” said Dr David Feavearyear, managing director of procurement services at Liberty Blume. “You still need really good people. To get the balance right, you need great change management skills.”

Organizations that adopt the four-pillar model used by business transformation leaders will be best positioned to deliver measurable value, improve efficiency, and shift from transactional work to strategic, business-shaping impact.

All Access: Future of BPM 2026

You asked, and we listened. Business process management (BPM) remains the cornerstone technology for driving organizational transformation, according to the survey results featured in the latest PEX Report. As we look toward 2026 and beyond, generative AI, agentic AI, and intelligent process orchestration are redefining how processes are designed, executed, and optimized. BPM is your key to adapting swiftly and effectively in this new era.

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