ABSTRACT
A business transformation program can fail for many reasons, and inadequate definition of the business problem is certainly a leading one. Many times, there is a lack of upfront rigor in elaborating, defining, and validating the business problem. Enterprises are unique; their problems are unique; and hence each solution to these problems must be unique. More emphasis should be placed on the thoughtful definition of the problem to be solved and on the careful selection of appropriate methods to solve it. There is a tendency for enterprises to look for historical or easy solutions. A particular method of successfully solving a strategic business problem in one company may not work equally well for another company with the same problem. A business transformation program chartered to address an incorrect problem is inherently doomed to fail, so a program manager must determine the exact strategic business problem from the outset.
