Why Most AI Projects Fail in Belgium (And How to Fix It)

Dr. Niklas Richter · 2026-09-08

Digital transformation is on nearly every company's roadmap. Yet a huge chunk of these projects run late, blow budgets, or just don't deliver what was promised. So what's really going wrong? In a recent podcast episode, Virginie Claes sat down with Nick Allaert, co-founder of SANDT, to dig into the biggest pitfalls of technology projects. They tackled the tough questions: Why do so many strategies fall apart during execution? How do you get employees to actually embrace change? And why is AI only valuable when it's truly woven into the daily rhythm of a business? Nick shared how SANDT guides companies from strategic advice all the way to full implementation. They talked about the AI hype cycle, the gap between business and IT, successful change management, and why picking the right technology often beats chasing the newest shiny tool. It's a conversation packed with practical insights for entrepreneurs and business leaders who want a clear return on their digital investments. ### The Execution Gap: Where Strategies Go to Die You've got a solid plan. The leadership team is on board. Then three months in, everything stalls. Sound familiar? According to Nick, the problem usually isn't the strategy itself. It's the translation from PowerPoint to real life. Companies underestimate how much change management is needed. They treat tech implementation like an IT project when it's really a people project. - **Lack of clear ownership:** Everyone assumes someone else is driving it. - **Poor communication:** Employees hear about changes too late or through the grapevine. - **No feedback loops:** Leaders don't check in until something breaks. The fix? Start small, involve the people who'll actually use the tool, and celebrate quick wins. Change doesn't happen in a boardroom. It happens at the desk. ### AI Is Not a Magic Wand There's a lot of noise around artificial intelligence. Every vendor promises the moon. But Nick is blunt: AI without integration is just an expensive experiment. "If your data is a mess and your processes are broken, AI will only make those problems faster and more visible," he says. That's why SANDT focuses on the boring stuff first: clean data, clear workflows, and a culture that's ready to adapt. Only then does AI become a true multiplier. It's not about having the fanciest algorithm. It's about having the right foundation. ### Bridging the Business-IT Divide One of the biggest friction points? The gap between business teams and IT. They speak different languages. They have different priorities. And too often, they blame each other when things go wrong. Nick suggests a simple shift: get IT into the business conversation early. And get business leaders into the technical weeds just enough to understand trade-offs. When both sides co-own the outcome, projects move faster and stick better. ### Choosing the Right Tech Over the Newest Tech It's tempting to jump on every new platform. But Nick's advice is to resist the hype. The question isn't "What's the latest?" It's "What actually solves our problem?" Sometimes that means sticking with a tool you already have and using it better. Other times it means replacing legacy systems. The key is to tie every decision back to a clear business outcome. If you can't explain how a tool will save time, cut costs, or boost revenue, it's probably not worth the investment. ### Final Takeaway Digital transformation isn't a one-time project. It's a muscle you build. Start with people, not platforms. Focus on integration, not just installation. And remember: the goal isn't to be cutting-edge. It's to be effective. For entrepreneurs in Belgium and beyond, that's a lesson worth repeating. The businesses that win aren't the ones with the most tech. They're the ones that use tech to serve their strategy, not the other way around.