HomeResearch & Knowledgeback to HomeDigitalback to Research & KnowledgeCelonis: Building a lean digital ecosystemback to Digital

Celonis AI robot automation - IMD Business School

Case Study

Celonis: Building a lean digital ecosystem

By Carlos Cordon, Benoit F. Leleux and Marc Chauvet

16 pages

August 2022

Order this case study

Reference: IMD-7-2286

To maintain its position as the category leader in process mining and execution management, Celonis needed to be able to facilitate – or even automate – corrective measures on these processes to edge closer to process mining nirvana, i.e. a fully automated, intelligent and real-time execution management system (EMS). But how to determine the right balance between features that were best developed in-house and those that could rely on its growing ecosystem of partners? Would the team be able to manage the explosive growth following the onboarding of so many partners? Celonis had created tools to bring the Lean philosophy into the digital age, but would the new ecosystem be enough to launch it into orbit?

Learning Objective

Introduce the concept of Lean and how it is applied in the digital space
Illustrate how to assess an organization’s gaps
Showcase how to build an ecosystem of partners and some of the underlying challenges

Keywords

Strategy, Digital Transformation, Disruption, Entrepreneurship, Operations, Production, Lean Management, Ecosystem, Big Data, Process Management, Data Mining, Consultancy, Scale-up, Growth Management, Start-up, Technology Management, Digital

Settings

World/global, Germany
Celonis, Business Management Services, Consultancy
2015-2022

Type

Field Research

Available Languages

English

Related material

Teaching note, Video

IMD case studies are distributed through case clearing houses. In order to browse the collection and purchase copies please visit the links below.

The Case Centre

Cranfield University

Wharley End Beds MK43 0JR, UK
Tel +44 (0)1234 750903
Email [email protected]

Harvard Business School Publishing

60 Harvard Way, Boston MA 02163, USA
Tel (800) 545-7685 Tel (617)-783-7600
Fax (617) 783-7666
Email [email protected]

Asia Pacific Case Center

NUCB Business School

1-3-1 Nishiki Naka
Nagoya Aichi, Japan 460-0003
Tel +81 52 20 38 111
Email [email protected]

IMD retains all proprietary interests in its case studies and notes. Without prior written permission, IMD cases and notes may not be reproduced, used, translated, included in books or other publications, distributed in any form or by any means, stored in a database or in other retrieval systems. For additional copyright information related to case studies, please contact Case Services.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

This case study is part of a series

Celonis: Building a lean digital ecosystem
Celonis: The process mining unicorn

2023 John Molson MBA International Case Writing Competition - 3rd Prize

This case study is part of a series

Celonis: Building a lean digital ecosystem
Celonis: The process mining unicorn

Keep reading

Article

Letting Go to Grow and Entrepreneurship: Frank’s Path to Empowered Leadership

Letting go to grow. Coaching empowered his entrepreneurship journey, transforming stress into sustainable leadership and more empowered leadership.

Business Transformation Coaching Entrepreneurship Growth Stakeholder Management Workplace Well-being

By Vincent Pieterse

in I by IMD

Case Study

The new protein buzz: Can Legendary Foods Africa feed the world with insects

Entrepreneurship Sustainability Social Innovation

By Sophie Bacq, Valerie Keller-Birrer and Ruth Shalom Kinyua

Article

Beyond Survival - Business Leadership - Entrepreneurial Lesssons

Beyond survival: Necessity entrepreneurs show how resilience and creativity in tough times can guide business leaders through today’s uncertain global economy.

Entrepreneurship Leadership Start-up

By Sophie Bacq

in I by IMD

Article

Banking Digital Transformation - Architects of Change

Raiffeisen Bank International's Sabine Abfalter explores how finance leaders can drive banking digital transformation with bold vision as architects of change.

Business Transformation Digital Leadership Negotiation

in I by IMD

Article

Leading Global Operations - Complexity and Change

Leading global operations through complexity and change in 2025 means embracing AI and ML to streamline supply chains and meet rising demands.

Artificial Intelligence Digital Leadership Strategy Supply Chain

By Ralf W. Seifert and Katrin Siebenbürger Hacki

in I by IMD

Article

Detroit Entrepreneurship - Motor City Innovation

Regional developers have tried and failed to emulate Silicon Valley’s VC-driven model for innovation. Detroit Entrepreneurship is following an alternative route.

Entrepreneurship Innovation Technology Management

By Jerry Davis

in I by IMD

Article

The dss+ journey - Buying your way into entrepreneurship

How a private equity-backed corporate carve-out created a successful, sustainable consulting powerhouse by Benoit Leleux

Entrepreneurship Finance

By Benoit F. Leleux

in I by IMD

Article

China's technology sector - AI innovation

China's technology sector leads global innovation with AI, semiconductor growth, and strategic diversification. R&D investments fuel success amid regulatory challenges.

Artificial Intelligence Digital Innovation Technology Management

By Mark J. Greeven and Sophie Liu

in I by IMD

Book

Necessity entrepreneurship: Getting beyond the binary: volume 92

Necessity entrepreneurship is broadly understood as the identifying and seizing of business opportunities to address basic needs such as food and shelter. This volume proposes new ways of seeing, theorizing, and researching necessity entrepreneurs...

Entrepreneurship Organizational Design Value Creation

Edited by Sophie Bacq, Katrin M. Smolka, Angelique Slade Shantz and Pursey Heugens

Book Chapter

From an orthodox to an emerging revisionist view of necessity entrepreneurship

This introduction offers a revisionist view of necessity entrepreneurship (NE). The volume editors are thereby challenging orthodox perspectives that equate NE solely with financial poverty and lack of employment and self-sustenance alternatives. ...

Entrepreneurship Economics

By Sophie Bacq, Katrin M. Smolka, Angelique Slade Shantz and Pursey Heugens

in Smolka, Katrin M. (Ed.); Heugens, Pursey (Ed.); Bacq, Sophie (Ed.); Slade Shantz, Angelique (Ed.) / Necessity entrepreneurship: Getting beyond the binary (Research in the sociology of organizations, vol. 92), pp: 1-10 / Leeds: Emerald, 2025

Letting Go to Grow and Entrepreneurship: Frank’s Path to Empowered Leadership

By Vincent Pieterse
in I by IMD

Summary

Letting go to grow. Coaching empowered his entrepreneurship journey, transforming stress into sustainable leadership and more empowered leadership.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Business Transformation

Coaching

Entrepreneurship

Growth

Stakeholder Management

Workplace Well-being

Browse all topics

The new protein buzz: Can Legendary Foods Africa feed the world with insects

By Sophie Bacq Valerie Keller-Birrer and Ruth Shalom Kinyua
Case reference: IMD-7-2632 ©2025

Summary

The case describes Legendary Foods Africa, a food-tech company founded in 2020 in Ghana by Canadian entrepreneur Shobhita Soor. Legendary Foods Africa is focused on farming, processing and selling palm weevil larvae products for human consumption. Palm weevil larvae, a traditional local food, are rich in protein, healthy fats and essential nutrients. The company’s mission is to provide affordable, sustainable and nutritious protein to local populations of West and Central Africa. Legendary Foods Africa uses innovative vertical farming techniques to cultivate larvae year-round. This method avoids having to rely on deforestation; in this way it provides efficient production with a minimal environmental footprint. The larvae are sold fresh or frozen as a meat and fish substitute but are also processed into protein-rich products like chili sauce and cookies, offering shelf-stable options for a wider audience. Four years after launch, the company had grown into a 70-person operation and was about to become profitable. Soor was considering various expansion strategies that included growing into new African and Asian markets, broadening the product range and shifting toward a business-to-business sales model. The company would need additional capital to scale production for its expansion plans.

Reference IMD-7-2632

Organization Legendary Foods Africa

Industry Consumer Goods, Food and Beverage

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Entrepreneurship

Sustainability

Social Innovation

Browse all topics

Beyond Survival - Business Leadership - Entrepreneurial Lesssons

By Sophie Bacq
in I by IMD

Summary

Beyond survival: Necessity entrepreneurs show how resilience and creativity in tough times can guide business leaders through today’s uncertain global economy.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Entrepreneurship

Leadership

Start-up

Browse all topics

Banking Digital Transformation - Architects of Change

in I by IMD

Summary

Raiffeisen Bank International's Sabine Abfalter explores how finance leaders can drive banking digital transformation with bold vision as architects of change.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Business Transformation

Digital

Leadership

Negotiation

Browse all topics

Leading Global Operations - Complexity and Change

By Ralf W. Seifert and Katrin Siebenbürger Hacki
in I by IMD

Summary

Leading global operations through complexity and change in 2025 means embracing AI and ML to streamline supply chains and meet rising demands.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Artificial Intelligence

Digital

Leadership

Strategy

Supply Chain

Browse all topics

Detroit Entrepreneurship - Motor City Innovation

By Jerry Davis
in I by IMD

Summary

Regional developers have tried and failed to emulate Silicon Valley’s VC-driven model for innovation. Detroit Entrepreneurship is following an alternative route.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Entrepreneurship

Innovation

Technology Management

Browse all topics

China's technology sector - AI innovation

By Mark J. Greeven and Sophie Liu
in I by IMD

Summary

China's technology sector leads global innovation with AI, semiconductor growth, and strategic diversification. R&D investments fuel success amid regulatory challenges.

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Artificial Intelligence

Digital

Innovation

Technology Management

Browse all topics

Necessity entrepreneurship: Getting beyond the binary: volume 92

By Sophie Bacq Katrin M. Smolka Angelique Slade Shantz and Pursey Heugens
Published by Emerald Group Publishing Limited ©2025

Summary

Available Languages English

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Entrepreneurship

Organizational Design

Value Creation

Browse all topics

From an orthodox to an emerging revisionist view of necessity entrepreneurship

By Sophie Bacq Katrin M. Smolka Angelique Slade Shantz and Pursey Heugens
in Smolka, Katrin M. (Ed.); Heugens, Pursey (Ed.); Bacq, Sophie (Ed.); Slade Shantz, Angelique (Ed.) / Necessity entrepreneurship: Getting beyond the binary (Research in the sociology of organizations, vol. 92), pp: 1-10 / Leeds: Emerald, 2025

Summary

Contact

Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

Related topics

Entrepreneurship

Economics

Browse all topics