Type of project
MSc course - Deep Dive into Organisations
Collaboration
Walter Broersma, Global Program Leader at IKEA
What we delivered
Organisation analysis
Digital transformation strategy report
Period
Nov 2024 - jan 2025
IKEA’s mission has always been clear: to make well-designed, sustainable furniture accessible to the many, not just the few. Rooted in family values, the company views the home as the most essential place in the world. However, in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, maintaining this relevance requires more than just great products—it demands adaptation.
Digital transformation is not merely about adopting new technologies; it is about fundamentally shifting mindsets, operations, and how an organization delivers value. To bridge the gap between IKEA’s traditional strengths and modern consumer needs, we developed IKEAi.
This project proposes a digital transformation strategy designed to enhance IKEA’s omnichannel presence and customer experience. It explores how IKEAi impacts the organizational structure, the business ecosystem, and IKEA’s long-term competitiveness.
The context
Traditionally reliant on its physical showrooms, IKEA is racing to catch up in a digital-first world. This shift requires a delicate balance: competing with agile e-commerce giants while managing the high costs of maintaining physical stores. Simultaneously, the company is battling on two other fronts: economic volatility (inflation and supply chain costs) threatening their low-price guarantee, and regulatory demands (CSRD and Right-to-Repair) that require deep systemic changes in product design and supply chain transparency.
The concept: IKEAi
IKEAi is a generative AI tool designed to democratize the interior design process. It transforms the IKEA customer journey by allowing users to upload inspirational photos and instantly receive personalized, purchasable IKEA moodboards.
The User Experience: Moving away from the traditional catalogue, IKEAi meets the user where they are: on social media. Users upload their inspiration, and the AI translates the atmosphere and style into specific IKEA product series. This creates a seamless omnichannel path from "getting inspired" on a phone to "picking up" at the store.
Strategic Value: The tool serves a dual purpose. For the consumer, it offers hyper-personalization usually reserved for luxury clients. For IKEA, it acts as a continuous market research engine. By analyzing aggregated user data, IKEA can spot shifting consumer tastes and trend patterns early, ensuring long-term competitive advantage.
