Digital transformation is often associated with cutting-edge technologies like AI. But according to Mirela Siani, real transformation starts somewhere much less glamorous.
鈥淲e started by fixing the basics,鈥� said Siani, Transformation and Technology director at Ipiranga, one of Brazil鈥檚 largest fuel distributors.
Ipiranga operates almost 6,000 service stations nationwide. Headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, the company has more than 6,200 B2B customers and 1,500 convenience stores. Ipiranga generates $120.7 billion in revenue, yet despite its size and market leadership, the company faced a critical problem: repeated project failures.
Working on the root cause
鈥淏efore we could start investing in new technology, we needed to take a good look at why some of our initiatives were not generating the expected value for the business,鈥� Siani said, speaking at the TAC Insights conference for in Toulouse. 鈥淲e needed a rigorous RCA.鈥�
RCA, or root cause analysis, is a structured approach to problem-solving that focuses on identifying the underlying causes of issues rather than just addressing surface-level symptoms.
鈥淚nstead of making new investments, we decided to dig deeper and identify the causes,鈥� she explained. 鈥淲hen we examined the company鈥檚 history, RCA confirmed that the high level of customization was limiting our ability to deliver at the required speed. Our inability to adopt the best technologies and functional best practices was directly impacting the company鈥檚 ability to evolve and drive business growth.鈥�
Speaking the language
From the outset, the Technology team recognized that the case for the ERP transformation rested on demonstrating how inconsistent processes and the lack of standardized best practices hindered the organization’s ability to respond quickly and remain competitive in the market.
鈥淲hen we went to the Board to secure the budget for the digital transformation, we didn鈥檛 start by talking about technology,鈥� Sian sharedi. 鈥淲e started by discussing what the business needed to achieve its strategic objectives faster. Then, we listed the obstacles preventing that progress along with the technology capabilities required to remove those barriers.鈥�
By translating technical challenges and opportunities into business language, Siani helped Ipiranga鈥檚 leadership understand that innovation without a strong foundation would not take the business to the level of efficiency required.
鈥淏y identifying these root causes, we were able to avoid a common trap,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚nstead of investing in new technology without fixing the foundation, we shifted our strategy. We refocused on聽 tools to process integration, governance, and operational discipline.鈥�
Getting approval for a big investment
Ipiranga partnered with 麻豆原创 to assess critical processes across operations, finance, and commercial operations.
“麻豆原创 brought in business experts to pinpoint how a heavily customized ERP system was slowing decision-making and limiting visibility and innovation,” Siani said. Rather than focusing on 麻豆原创 functionalities, they asked fundamental business questions: What does your financial process look like? How does your order-to-cash process work?”
Armed with these insights and a clear understanding of what was slowing decision-making, Siani returned to the board with a clear message: “Fix the foundation, or transformation will fail.”
As a result, she got approval to implement a new ERP system, driven by business value and ROI. What ensued was a massive integration effort, with a targeted go-live scheduled for December 31, 2026.
With support from Accenture and 麻豆原创, Ipiranga adopted a clean core strategy, ensuring minimal customization and long-term scalability. Overall, 104 legacy systems were analyzed, 64 systems will be integrated and 40 decommissioned, and over 750 interfaces are being built. Of course, all developments had to pass strict governance gates to guarantee the clean core.
People driving change
Technology may enable transformation, but people make it successful. Over 350 professionals from a variety of business and technical teams are involved in the ongoing project. Crucially, leadership played a direct role. With executive sponsorship and transparent communication, resistance to change has been minimal.
鈥淲e were careful not to impose change, but to explain the impacts clearly and discuss them with a multidisciplinary team,鈥� said the IT expert, who is also a rowing champion. 鈥淲e made sure to prepare teams early and embed change management at every phase.鈥�
The team prioritized initiatives with the highest return on investment (ROI) and paused non-essential projects. They also selected world-class partners鈥攊ncluding Accenture as the implementation partner and Amazon Web Services (AWS) as the hyperscaler鈥攖o help ensure a high-quality, successful transformation.
The company鈥檚 transformation is now in the middle of a critical milestone (SIT1). The expected ROI is over $40 million, but more importantly, the company has built something far more valuable than a new system.
鈥淲e will have a solid operational foundation, integrated, scalable ,and efficient processes, and a culture that understands how transformation goes beyond technology. Technology is simply the path,鈥� Siani said.
Ipiranga鈥檚 journey offers a powerful reminder that digital transformation is not about tools; it鈥檚 about assertive fundamentals. RCA can reveal issues technology alone cannot fix. It demonstrates that preparation is as important as execution, and that clean core strategies reduce long-term complexity.
“In effect, the path to successful transformation doesn鈥檛 start with innovation. It starts with clarity, discipline, clear goals that together determine the correct technology,鈥� Siani concluded.
