How AI is reinventing IT transformations: interview with Patric Dahse

The end of traditional IT transformation?

Patric, AI is currently the dominant topic in IT. From your perspective, how is it changing the IT transformation market?

Patric Dahse:  We are at a genuine turning point. Over the past decades, IT transformations have primarily been one thing: highly customized, complex, and expensive.

According to the findings of our latest IT Transformation Study, projects within our client base took nearly two years on average and cost between €5 million and €20 million. That has been the status quo. With AI, we are now entering a new phase. Transformation is becoming scalable, repeatable and therefore industrialized.

That is the key difference: we are moving away from a world of one-off projects toward a platform-driven approach.

You speak of industrialization. What does that mean in practical terms for businesses?

Patric Dahse: Industrialization means less uncertainty and more consistency. Less manual work, more automation. And above all, better outcomes with significantly less effort. With the Natuvion Data Conversion Suite, our goal is to fundamentally improve the economics of IT transformations, with the clear objective of dramatically reducing costs and project timelines and taking them to an entirely new level.

It is an ambitious vision, yes, but with the right use of AI, it is absolutely achievable.

Why not every AI makes the difference

Many providers in the transformation market are currently talking about AI. What sets Natuvion apart?

Patric Dahse: The key point is this: AI alone delivers very little. Without data that has the right context and the right relationships, AI is almost worthless. Worse still, inaccurate information can turn AI into a risk. And that is exactly where our strength lies.

For nearly 13 years, we have been delivering IT transformations. During that time, we have not only gained experience, but more importantly, we have built a unique data foundation. We have collected structured, machine-readable project knowledge from real-world transformation projects. This data forms our own transformation ontology. That means our AI is not based on generic models, but on practical transformation expertise gained from well over 1,000 projects.

Many companies have either generic AI or experience. We are currently the only company that combines both at this level of depth.

How is this reflected in the Natuvion Data Conversion Suite?

Patric Dahse: AI is embedded throughout the entire Natuvion Data Conversion Suite, from analysis to legacy system decommissioning. This is where our key differentiator in the market becomes clear.

We are the only provider that combines a data corpus built on real transformation data with an end-to-end platform covering the entire transformation process. During the analysis phase, we create transparency across IT landscapes that have often evolved over decades. During transformation, we automate complex rules and the mapping of data objects linked to business processes. During validation, we use AI to ensure quality. During system decommissioning, we provide legally compliant and efficient data archiving.

The key is that every step is not isolated, but part of a continuously learning system. Our AI draws on insights from numerous transformation projects and improves with every deployment. This unique combination of trained AI and an end-to-end platform is what makes the difference and, for the first time, enables truly holistic and scalable IT transformation.

Flexibility as a success factor

One of the most interesting findings from our 2026 Transformation Study is that 71% of companies had to adjust their migration methodology during an ongoing project. What does this tell us about the market?

Patric Dahse: This is one of the most important findings of the Transformation Study. If 71% of projects have to adjust their methodology, it means that almost every project unfolds differently than originally planned. That clearly highlights the real issue. Today's transformations are still not data-driven enough and are planned too rigidly. This is exactly where AI shows its strength.

AI enables projects to be managed dynamically, based on real-time data and insights gained from thousands of previous scenarios. Instead of relying on rigid methodologies, we move toward adaptive, continuously learning transformations.

Does this mean that traditional project methodologies are reaching their limits?

Patric Dahse: Absolutely. Traditional methodologies assume that everything can be planned from the start. Reality tells a different story. Transformation is not a linear process. It is highly dynamic. Data structures change, business requirements evolve, and risks emerge unexpectedly.

AI helps us manage exactly this kind of complexity. It makes transformations more resilient and, above all, more predictable. Paradoxically, it achieves this precisely because it can deal with uncertainty.

From individual projects to a learning platform

What role does Natuvion's platform strategy play?

Patric Dahse: It plays a fundamental role. We no longer think of transformation as a project, but as a platform capability. At its core, the Natuvion Data Conversion Suite is a continuously learning platform. Every customer benefits from the experience gained across all previous projects. This creates a significant scalability advantage.

That is also why we are convinced that we are the market leader in this field. We combine data, experience, and AI within a single, end-to-end architecture.

What does this mean in practical terms for our customers?

Patric Dahse: Quite simply: lower risk, lower costs, and faster results. Today, companies are under enormous pressure to transform, whether driven by SAP S/4HANA, cloud adoption, or regulatory requirements. At the same time, budgets and resources are limited. Our answer is clear. Transformation has to become more efficient. And that is only possible through automation and AI. In my view, a data migration should take no more than a few months. In the future, we may even be talking about just a few weeks.

Patric Dahse: I am convinced that, in just a few months, we will look back and wonder why IT transformations ever took so long. AI will not only optimize individual steps, but fundamentally reshape the entire process. In a field known for highly technical and detail-oriented work, we are about to witness a true paradigm shift. Projects will become shorter, more cost-effective, and far more predictable.

And perhaps even more importantly, transformation will evolve from a business risk into a strategic opportunity.

One final question: What is driving Natuvion forward?

Patric Dahse: Our ambition is to completely rethink IT transformation. We do not just want to improve it. We want to fundamentally redefine it. Faster, smarter, and significantly more cost-effective for our customers. Every customer should be able to move their data easily, quickly, and seamlessly, regardless of the target platform they choose.

The choice of software should never depend on whether the existing data is a perfect fit. That is exactly where the Natuvion Data Conversion Suite (DCS) comes in. In my view, it is the most powerful platform for IT transformation.

Thank you for the interview!