In this episode of Data Driven Voices, we spoke with Neil Dickson, a leader in digital transformation at Scania with a unique background in psychology. The conversation explored how psychology shapes successful change management, what real customer research reveals about B2B preferences, and why adoption, not technology might be the biggest barrier to AI implementation. The discussion uncovered why transformation requires both technical infrastructure and cultural readiness.
In this blog post, we’ve summarized some of the key highlights from the discussion.
Identity is at the core of successful change
Traditional change management often focuses on processes and technology implementation, but Neil’s psychology background gives him a different perspective on what makes transformation succeed or fail.
“It’s about people’s identity. When you’re going through change, most people want to do a good job and they have a career and they build up a reputation and a self-esteem in a particular role that they’re in. And when you come along with a change or when you come along with something where you’re saying, well, actually we need to get you to do something quite different, it’s actually their own personal identity that you’re challenging a little bit.“
This insight explains why even well-planned changes can face resistance. You’re not just asking people to learn new skills, but potentially to redefine who they are professionally. Neil’s approach focuses on “minimizing disruption, maximizing adoption” by understanding these identity dynamics and supporting people through that transition.
AI acceleration creates both opportunity and fear
As AI capabilities expand rapidly, organizations must navigate not just technical implementation but very human reactions to these changes.
“It’s emotional. People tie their identity to their roles, and when AI threatens that, it creates fear. Some embrace it, some resist. That’s why we need strong change infrastructure—leaders who can tell the story, guide the journey, and recognize where people are emotionally.“
Neil emphasizes that AI adoption requires acknowledging these emotional realities. Some people naturally embrace new technologies, while others see them as threats to their professional identity. Effective transformation accounts for this range of reactions rather than expecting uniform enthusiasm.
Customer research reveals surprising channel preferences
When Scania wanted to better understand their customers’ needs, they went straight to the source, conducting in-depth interviews with 61 customers across seven countries. The findings challenged some common assumptions.
“Channel preferences was interesting. I think there’s always a big focus on web, but a lot of customers said they don’t really go to the web that often. They maybe go when they’re doing some deep research for a procurement or something like that… The salesperson, the interface with the human being is still by far the most important channel.”
The research also highlighted other valuable insights: drivers remain critically important stakeholders, and messaging platforms like WhatsApp are growing in significance for B2B communication. By directly engaging with customers in their environments, Scania gained actionable insights that mere quantitative data might have missed.
The infrastructure for successful transformation
Major change requires more than just good intentions—it needs systematic support throughout the organization. Neil outlines three critical components of effective change infrastructure:
“I think specifically in our area… our role is to enable. A lot of it’s about the relationships with the markets and the regions that are out there, making sure we’ve got regular engagement and contact with them… The second one, I think, is around having a clear vision… The third thing is relatively traditional PMO type, like what is actually going on? Having a transparency around whether it’s the communication projects themselves and the kind of campaigns or whether it’s the change and development initiatives.“
Even simple, consistent communication tools like monthly newsletters play an important role in keeping everyone aligned and informed about progress. These structured supports create the foundation that enables complex, multi-layered transformation
Business imagination, not just technology
When discussing AI’s potential, Neil points out that organizations often struggle not with the technology itself, but with envisioning how to apply it meaningfully to their business.
“I think firstly, it’s having the imagination, the business vision. We’ve got all of these amazing tech stack pieces and AI and all of these possibilities… But I don’t, not just in Scania, I mean, in so many other [organizations], I don’t really see the organization coming up with the business vision. What does that really mean for us and how can we really move towards that?“
This insight flips the common narrative about AI implementation challenges. Rather than technical limitations, the greater barrier may be creative limitations—the ability to reimagine business processes and customer experiences in light of new possibilities.
Trust and adoption remain the critical barriers
As technology costs decrease, Neil identifies a fundamental shift in what constrains transformation:
“Which is harder… Definitely, definitely the trust. But you also need to, to get the investment, you kind of need some stakeholders to be bought in enough to say, yes, I will lead my team in this direction and we’ll do things differently. So you kind of need, they kind of both need to happen in parallel a little bit to be able to get the investment and move forward in the right way.“
The economics of technology are rapidly changing, AI is making development and production costs plummet. This means adoption, not budget constraints, becomes the primary limiter of progress. Organizations that excel at the human side of change management will increasingly outperform those that focus solely on technical implementation.
Final thoughts: The opportunity ahead
Despite the challenges, Neil remains optimistic about the opportunities that data-driven approaches create for organizations like Scania. His parting thought emphasizes the positive potential:
“All of these things gives us a real opportunity to use data-driven voices, but to use data to really make us relevant, make us more creative, and make us more accountable. Really try and [be] accountable for outcomes and business impact. I think that there’s a real clear ability to do that now. So I think that’s the exciting thing going forward.“
With the right approach to both technology and human psychology, data-driven transformation creates the potential for greater relevance, creativity, and accountability—elevating marketing and customer engagement to truly strategic functions within the organization.
Inspiration for marketing, sales, and data professionals
Data Driven Voices is a podcast where Avaus together with industry experts, thought leaders, and partners discuss how to harness data, technology, and strategy to drive meaningful change and business results in primarily marketing and sales. The podcast shares actionable insights, success stories, and thought-provoking challenges to help professionals with new perspectives.
