What is the difference between digitization and simple technological substitution?

Authentic digitization requires rethinking processes before introducing technology. Simple replacement (→screen paper,→ portal door) preserves the defects of the previous procedure and risks increasing bureaucracy instead of simplifying it. True digitization means eliminating unnecessary steps, simplifying procedures and streamlining tasks, then applying the technology to the improved process.

What skills do you need to manage a digitization project?

You need people who simultaneously understand: technology, organization, processes, security, and end-user needs. A nominated manager or modern software is not enough. If skills are not available internally, it is wise to turn to qualified professionals. The project requires clarity in objectives, defined responsibilities, realistic timeframes and cost control.

What happens to employees when a process is automated?

Ideally, staff should be freed from repetitive tasks and employed where it creates greater added value. However, if automation makes certain tasks structurally useless, it may become necessary to downsize the workforce. This decision must be based on a serious analysis of workloads, automated processes and expected results, not on arbitrary principle.

How to prevent digitization from increasing bureaucracy?

The key is to start with the question: how can we do better what we do today? Before choosing digital tools, you need to rethink the process, eliminate unnecessary steps and simplify procedures. Only then does technology come. If the process is inefficient, complicated, or redundant, transferring it digitally without change makes it even worse.

How to structure a serious digitization project?

Start with clear, measurable goals (don't digitize for fashion, but automate this specific process). Check the availability of internal expertise and assess whether external advice is needed. Establish a realistic budget and a credible timetable. Designate a manager with authority and accountability. Involve staff at all stages and communicate changes. Map organizational impacts. Monitor post-launch.

When digitization rhymes with improvisation (cross-border guide)

Di Redazione Frontaliere Ticino · Published on 22 August 2026

Modern Swiss administrative office with digital workstations and collaborative spaces during digital transformation

Digitizing does not mean replacing paper with a screen: it requires rethinking processes, adequate skills and conscious management of organizational change.

Context

In brief

Digital transformation requires process rethinking, not just technological change
Multidisciplinary skills are needed: technology, organization, processes, security
When automation makes tasks obsolete, organizational rationalization may be necessary

Key facts

What: Digital transformation of services, processes, and procedures in administrations and companies
Required approach: Procedural rethinking before choosing technology
Critical skills: Technology, organization, processes, security, user needs
Main risk: Preserving defects of old processes in digital form
Consequence: Possible organizational rationalization when tasks become obsolete
Success factors: Clear objectives, defined responsibilities, realistic timelines, cost control

Digital transformation is not just a simple substitution of paper with screens or physical counters with online portals. According to sector analysis, transferring current processes directly to digital platforms risks preserving all defects of the previous procedure, adding only a technological interface. A completely different perspective emerges if we start from process rethinking.

Rethink before digitizing

Before buying software or appointing a digital transformation manager, we need to ask a fundamental question: how can we do better what we do today? If a process is inefficient, complicated, or redundant, simply transferring it to a digital platform does not make it automatically better. On the contrary, the risk is concrete.

…

Operational details

The organizational rationalization represents a often underestimated consequence of digitalization, but it requires transparency and awareness. When a procedure is automated and certain activities become superfluous, the personnel should ideally be reemployed in activities where they create greater added value. But this transition is not automatic nor taken for granted.

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Key points

For those who are preparing to launch a digital transformation project, both in the public and private sectors, following a structured path is essential to avoid improvisation and waste of resources.

The checklist for starting a serious digital project

The first step is to clearly define what you want to achieve. Not “digitize because it's fashionable,” but “simplify this specific process because today it generates 20 hours of manual labor per month that we could automate.” Each objective must be measurable and linked to a concrete result.

Second, it is necessary to check the availability of internal skills. Is it really possible to manage the project with current staff? Do you need training courses? Is it better to rely on specialised consultants? The honest answer to this question avoids many later problems.

Third, establish a realistic budget and a credible timetable. Don't give in to the temptation to estimate to the downside to get approvals. Slipping digital projects cost more than initially budgeted.

Fourth, clearly designate who is responsible for the project, with well-defined authorities and accountability. It cannot be “one committee” or “all together”; you need competent guidance.

During implementation: engagement and communication

Once the project is underway, staff involvement is critical. Who will use the new digital system must be informed of the changes, involved in the tests and

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Source: tio.ch

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between digitization and simple technological substitution?: Authentic digitization requires rethinking processes before introducing technology. Simple replacement (→screen paper,→ portal door) preserves the defects of the previous procedure and risks increasing bureaucracy instead of simplifying it. True digitization means eliminating unnecessary steps, simplifying procedures and streamlining tasks, then applying the technology to the improved process.
What skills do you need to manage a digitization project?: You need people who simultaneously understand: technology, organization, processes, security, and end-user needs. A nominated manager or modern software is not enough. If skills are not available internally, it is wise to turn to qualified professionals. The project requires clarity in objectives, defined responsibilities, realistic timeframes and cost control.
What happens to employees when a process is automated?: Ideally, staff should be freed from repetitive tasks and employed where it creates greater added value. However, if automation makes certain tasks structurally useless, it may become necessary to downsize the workforce. This decision must be based on a serious analysis of workloads, automated processes and expected results, not on arbitrary principle.
How to prevent digitization from increasing bureaucracy?: The key is to start with the question: how can we do better what we do today? Before choosing digital tools, you need to rethink the process, eliminate unnecessary steps and simplify procedures. Only then does technology come. If the process is inefficient, complicated, or redundant, transferring it digitally without change makes it even worse.
How to structure a serious digitization project?: Start with clear, measurable goals (don't digitize for fashion, but automate this specific process). Check the availability of internal expertise and assess whether external advice is needed. Establish a realistic budget and a credible timetable. Designate a manager with authority and accountability. Involve staff at all stages and communicate changes. Map organizational impacts. Monitor post-launch.