Why this matters. Digitalising business processes typically fails where companies move the paper version one-to-one into the system — rather than rethinking the process for a digital outcome. The Bitkom Digital Process Maturity Model 3.0 provides a five-dimension reference to assess where you stand — before you invest.
When digitalisation is worth it — and when to optimise first
Digitalisation is worth it when:
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the process is high-volume and recurring — not a one-off case;
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the target concept is documented and process ownership is named;
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interfaces to downstream systems — ERP, CRM, DMS — are auditable.
Optimise first when:
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the process runs differently every month because the rules live in heads, not the system;
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master-data quality is unclear — no bot rescues incorrect addresses or items;
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the organisation will not sign off on the target process — political clarification before IT clarification.
The five Bitkom dimensions — what maturity is measured against
The Bitkom Maturity Model 3.0 uses a bottom-up assessment across five dimensions. The dimension score is the mean of three criteria; the process score is the mean of the five dimensions. The result is a comparable measure.
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Dimension 1 — Technology: is the supporting software present, integrated and maintained.
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Dimension 2 — Process quality: is the process documented, stable, modelled end to end.
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Dimension 3 — Process data: are the data available in structured form — and correct.
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Dimension 4 — Skills and culture: do users have the competence and acceptance.
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Dimension 5 — Customers: does the customer feel the effect — shorter wait, fewer follow-up queries.
The typical mistake — digitalising the paper process
A west German wholesaler with about 110 employees digitised its procurement process by porting the paper form one-to-one into a workflow tool as a PDF form. Three fields were historically redundant, one was never filled out, and one expected information that arrived only six weeks later. After go-live the process was digital — but lead time was unchanged. The Bitkom AI Study 2026 names data protection (77 percent) and skills shortages (70 percent) as the biggest barriers — yet the number-one drag is missing re-engineering.
One rule helps: every data point in the digital process must serve a measurable function. Without that check, you cement the paper ritual as a software ritual. A methodical digitalisation review starts with the question of which fields can be removed — not which can be added.
What to do next
If you want to test the maturity of your next digitalisation initiative:
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Score the target process across the five Bitkom dimensions — a scale of 1 to 5 is enough.
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Mark every input field on the current paper form that serves no function — and remove it.
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Define a measurable effect — shorter lead time, fewer queries, higher throughput.
If you want to test these three steps without implementer self-interest, we will sit through the methodology with you in twenty minutes — independently of who later implements.
FAQ
High-volume, recurring processes with a documented target concept and named process ownership. Typical candidates: invoice approval, order entry, master-data maintenance, purchase requisition. Not first: one-offs, politically unresolved flows, processes with unclear master-data quality.
The BMWK Mittelstand-Digital programme supports SMEs neutrally and free of charge with digitalisation initiatives. The current funding period ends on 31 December 2026 — a successor programme is planned from 2027. The "Digital Jetzt" investment-grant programme funds concrete digitalisation projects.
Optimisation improves the existing flow — shorter paths, fewer steps, clearer ownership. Digitalisation replaces the flow with a system-supported variant. Optimisation comes first: digitalise an unclear process and you get an unclear process in software.