For years, we’ve seen digital leaders battling the same invisible opponent: their legacy tech stack.
It’s expensive. It’s inflexible. And it keeps a lot of smart teams stuck in first gear.
But that’s changing.
According to Mordor Intelligence, the UK digital transformation market is worth $61.82 billion in 2025.
That’s not just growth – it’s movement. It signals that organisations are finally starting to cut ties with legacy systems that have long overstayed their welcome.
Let’s look at why the shift is happening, what’s driving it, and how digital leaders can avoid the usual traps when making the move.
The cost of standing still
Legacy systems aren’t just about technical debt. They create strategic debt too.
They slow down product delivery. They make customer experiences feel clunky. They limit experimentation, automation, and insight.
In other words, they limit growth.
We speak to CTOs, Heads of Digital and CMOs every week who say the same thing: "We know what we want to do, but our current platform can’t get us there."
If that’s you, you’re not alone. And if you’re wondering why it’s taken so long to make the break, the answer is simple: the risk has always felt bigger than the reward.
Until now.
What’s changed in 2025?
There are four key shifts we’re seeing this year:
1. Digital goals are more ambitious
Serving customers better isn’t enough. Now it’s about:
- Being faster to market
- Scaling personalisation
- Reducing cost-to-serve
- Unlocking insight in real time
Legacy platforms simply aren’t designed for that kind of agility.
2. Platforms are being sunsetted
Many enterprise CMS and DXP platforms are reaching end-of-life. That creates a burning platform for change – sometimes literally.
3. Vendor landscapes are maturing
Optimizely, Adobe, Sitecore and others have evolved. Headless, composable, SaaS-first platforms now offer a clearer ROI story than ever before.
4. The replatforming conversation has shifted
It’s not "rip and replace" anymore. It’s modular, phased, and prioritised around impact.
The blockers that used to stall these projects – budget, buy-in, time – are easier to overcome when there’s a clear business case.
So why are some businesses still stuck?
Let’s be honest. There are still a few elephants in the server room:
- Fear of disruption: "Our team knows this system. We can’t afford the learning curve."
- Cost optics: "How do I justify the initial spend when we’re already paying for something?"
- Risk aversion: "What if we move and it still doesn’t work?"
- Internal politics: "Marketing and IT still aren’t aligned on what we need."
These are all valid concerns. But they’re also fixable. And the cost of doing nothing is rising. Fast.
My advice? Make the case for change clearer.
Here’s how we help clients move forward:
1. Start with business outcomes
Don’t start with features. Start with the problem your platform is creating:
- Is it slowing down launches?
- Blocking personalisation?
- Making insights harder to act on?
If so, tie those problems to cost, time or customer loss.
2. Model the opportunity
Show what you stand to gain:
- Faster page loads = higher conversions
- Better content tooling = faster time to value
- Real-time analytics = smarter decisions
There’s usually a stronger ROI in switching platforms than in paying to keep an old one on life support.
3. Use a partner who’s done it before
The right consultancy makes a world of difference. We’ve helped organisations transition from legacy to leading platforms without derailing their roadmap or overloading internal teams.
Our approach is phased, outcome-focused and built around your internal capacity.
No magic bullets. Just clarity, capability and delivery.
Final thoughts
Digital transformation isn’t about buying new tech. It’s about removing the things that are holding you back.
If your platform is more of a barrier than a launchpad, it’s time to rethink.
At Mando Group, we help organisations do just that – with strategies that are clear, transitions that are structured, and outcomes that matter.
The UK market is moving. The only question is: are you moving with it?
💡 Take our Digital Experience Platform (DXP) self-assessment and see for yourself. 3 minutes of your time - a whole lot of value delivered.
Source: Mordor Intelligence – UK Digital Transformation Market Report 2025
