Digital transformation is not an end in itself — but a powerful restructuring lever. How process automation, digital sales channels, and data-driven decisions integrate into IDW S6 restructuring concepts.
When Restructuring Meets Digitalization
It appears in almost every restructuring report these days: digital transformation. But between ambitious PowerPoint slides and the reality of a company in crisis, there is often a considerable gap. Managing directors are under time pressure, liquidity is tight, and now they are supposed to digitalize as well? The answer is: Yes — but properly. Because digital transformation is not a luxury project for good times; it can be a decisive lever for reducing costs, unlocking new revenue sources, and making the company sustainably competitive.
The challenge lies in understanding digitalization not as an abstract future project, but as a concrete restructuring instrument with measurable impact on results. A McKinsey study shows that companies approaching digital transformation with a turnaround mindset achieve significantly better results than those treating digitalization as a separate project.
Digitalization in the Context of IDW S6
The restructuring concept under IDW S6 requires a clear vision of the restructured company, a thorough analysis of crisis causes, and a concrete catalogue of measures. Digital transformation can be applied at several points within this framework:
Crisis Cause Analysis: Identifying Digital Deficits
The analysis frequently reveals that digital backwardness itself is a cause of crisis. Companies that have failed to digitalize their processes lose ground against competitors. Struktur Management Partner note in their analyses that the IDW S6 standard increasingly considers sustainability and cyber risks as crisis triggers.
Vision: The Digitally Transformed Company
The vision of the restructured company should contain a clear digital target architecture:
- Which processes will be automated?
- Which digital sales channels will be established?
- How will data-driven decision-making be embedded?
- What IT infrastructure is required?
Measures Planning: Digital Quick Wins and Strategic Investments
The catalogue of measures distinguishes between short-term quick wins and medium-term strategic digitalization projects. Only when the contribution of each measure is quantified and incorporated into the integrated financial planning does the concept meet IDW S6 requirements.
Process Automation: The Underestimated Cost Lever
Digitalization typically achieves the greatest and fastest effects through process automation. According to a PwC study on Robotic Process Automation (RPA), software-based process automation can save an average of up to 59 percent of costs in affected processes.
Concrete Application Areas in Restructuring
Finance and Accounting:
- Automated invoice processing
- Machine-based account reconciliation
- Automated dunning and receivables management
Procurement:
- Digital ordering processes with automatic approval workflows
- Automated supplier comparison
- Inventory optimization through predictive analytics
HR and Administration:
- Digital personnel files and self-service portals
- Automated travel expense reporting
- Digital contract management systems
In restructuring practice, companies in crisis frequently have significant efficiency reserves in precisely these areas. The advantage: many of these measures can be implemented within three to six months and deliver measurable results for the integrated financial plan.
Digital Sales Channels as a Revenue Lever
Beyond the cost side, digitalization offers considerable potential on the revenue side. According to BCG, digitally leading companies generate up to 22 percent more revenue through digital channels than laggards.
E-Commerce and Digital Customer Acquisition
For B2B companies, establishing a digital sales channel can be a real game changer:
- Online configurators allow customers to specify products themselves
- Digital marketplaces open up new customer groups
- Content marketing and SEO reduce dependency on individual major customers
- CRM systems improve sales management and customer retention
Data-Driven Pricing
A frequently underestimated potential lies in dynamic pricing. Companies in crisis have often not adjusted prices for years or lack a sound data basis for pricing decisions. Modern pricing tools enable differentiated, market-appropriate pricing that alone can achieve margin improvements of two to five percentage points.
Digital Maturity Assessment: Where Does the Company Stand?
Before digital measures are planned, the current state must be systematically assessed. Digital maturity assessments have proven effective as a diagnostic tool. The Deloitte Digital Maturity Index evaluates companies across 90 operational and strategic parameters and classifies them into six maturity levels — from "Digital Laggard" to "Digital Champion."
Dimensions of Assessment
A practical digital maturity assessment for restructuring typically covers:
- Technology and Infrastructure: Currency and capability of IT systems
- Processes and Automation: Degree of digitalization of operational processes
- Data and Analytics: Availability and use of data for decision-making
- Digital Competence: Employee capabilities in using digital tools
- Digital Strategy: Existence and implementation status of a digital agenda
- Innovation and Agility: Ability to adapt quickly to change
Integration into Crisis Diagnosis
The assessment becomes part of the crisis cause analysis under IDW S6 and provides the foundation for the digital measures catalogue. It reveals which areas have the greatest gaps and where the highest leverage lies.
Implementation Under Time Pressure: The Restructuring Roadmap
The central challenge of digital transformation in restructuring is time pressure. A company in crisis does not have the luxury of launching three-year digitalization programs. Instead, it needs a pragmatic roadmap that can be integrated into StaRUG proceedings or restructuring planning under the German Insolvency Code (InsO).
Phase 1: Immediate Measures (Months 1-3)
- Create transparency: Introduction of real-time liquidity reporting
- Realize quick wins: Automation of repetitive administrative processes
- Cloud migration of critical systems: Reduction of IT fixed costs
- Data cleansing: Creation of a reliable data foundation
Phase 2: Operational Optimization (Months 3-9)
- Process automation: Rollout of RPA in core processes
- Digital sales: Establishment of initial digital sales channels
- Business intelligence: Introduction of data-driven management dashboards
- Cybersecurity audit: Securing IT infrastructure
Phase 3: Strategic Transformation (Months 9-18)
- New business models: Development of digital products and services
- Platform strategy: Integration into digital ecosystems
- AI deployment: Predictive maintenance, intelligent logistics
- Cultural change: Embedding digital working practices
Success Factors and Typical Pitfalls
What Makes Digital Restructurings Successful
McKinsey identifies 21 best practices that increase the success of digital transformations. For restructuring practice, the following are particularly relevant:
- Top management commitment: The CEO must personally drive digital transformation
- Focus on few levers: Not everything at once, but prioritize the three to five most impactful measures
- Measurable results: Every measure must have a quantifiable P&L effect
- Agility: Short cycles, rapid adjustment, no perfectionism
Typical Mistakes in Practice
- Technology without strategy: IT investments without a clear business objective
- Parallel worlds: Digital projects run alongside restructuring instead of being integrated
- Underestimating change management: Digitalization fails more often due to people than technology
- Oversized projects: Major ERP implementations in the middle of a crisis are a recipe for disaster
Conclusion: Digitalization as an Integral Part of Restructuring
Digital transformation in restructuring is not a contradiction but a necessity. Used correctly, it delivers measurable cost reductions, unlocks new revenue sources, and makes the company sustainably competitive. The key lies in integration into the restructuring concept under IDW S6: digital measures must be part of the crisis cause analysis, the vision, the measures catalogue, and the integrated financial plan.
Companies that include digitalization as lip service in restructuring reports waste potential. Companies that use it as a strategic lever create the foundation for sustainable turnaround success.
At compleneo, we support you in integrating digital transformation measures into restructuring concepts and restructuring proceedings. Get in touch with us.
