THE ROLE OF DIGITAL ADOPTION IN THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROCESS OF AN ENTERPRISE

Abstract

The article demonstrates the pivotal role of digital adoption in achieving tangible outcomes from enterprise digital-transformation programmes. It clarifies the evolution of the term, from early consultancy practice to its present status as a core change-management capability, and proposes a three-stage model technology, software and user adoption that organisations must sequentially master to realise full value from digital investments. Successful passage through these stages strengthens the human, structural and innovation components of intellectual capital, enhancing resilience, efficiency and competitiveness. A synthesis of empirical studies reveals recurring causes of failure: employee resistance, stakeholder information gaps, weak middle-management support, cursory training and an over-focus on technology at the expense of human-centric design. These pitfalls arise when adoption is treated as an incidental by-product rather than as a governed process. The paper therefore recommends managerial interventions such as early user co-design, role-based learning paths, mentoring, ambassador networks, continuous communication and incentive schemes tied to adoption metrics. Special attention is given to the shift from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0, where human-centricity becomes the guiding principle of technological progress. In this paradigm, digital adoption acts as a socio-technical bridge that aligns advanced automation and AI platforms with employee wellbeing and creativity. The study integrates insights from consulting frameworks (McKinsey, Bain, Gartner), digital-adoption-platform vendors (Pendo, WalkMe, tts GmbH) and academic models (Digital Capability Framework, MIT Digital Transformation Framework) to present an adoption-centred roadmap that embeds metrics into transformation governance and links them to strategic KPIs. Finally, it outlines a research agenda for an adaptive adoption framework tailored to sector context and maturity, incorporating stage-gated diagnostics, UX analytics and continuous-improvement cycles. The findings reassert that human-centred adoption practices are indispensable for sustainable digital transformation and for unlocking the economic and social benefits promised by the Fourth and emerging Fifth Industrial Revolutions.