Dell COO Jeff Clarke sends memo to employees says: This is the biggest transformation in company history; shares new deadline and adds we will no go back

Dell Technologies is now preparing for what COO and vice chairman Jeff Clarke has called the “biggest transformation in company history.” As reported by Business Insider, in a memo to its employees, Clarke has outlined some sweeping changes under the company’s modernisation initiative — One Dell Way, which will roll out on May 3, 2026. This new initiative of the company will replace Dell’s sprawl of applications, servers, and databases with a single enterprise platform designed to connect data, break down silos, and streamline operations. Clarke also added that the new system will deliver seamless data flow, fewer repetitive tasks, faster decision-making and more time for work which drives impact. “This is a comprehensive change, not a gradual transition. Once we start operating in the new way on May 3, we won’t go back,” Clarke wrote in the memo.

Dell preparing for AI-driven future

In the memo shared, Clarke also stressed on the fact that simplifying and standardizing processes is critical for the company in order to remain competitive in an AI-driven world. “For years, our strong functional orientation meant we built many variations of fundamental processes. That won’t cut it in an AI-driven world. We need one way — simplified, standardized, and automated — so we can be more competitive and serve our customers better,” he said.A Dell spokesperson also told Business Insider that the new One Dell Way initiate is created to “simplify processes, standardize systems, and use automation to create a more connected and efficient organization.”The initiative will launch across Dell’s Client Solutions Group (CSG), as well as finance, supply chain, marketing, sales, revenue operations, services, and HR starting May 3, 2026. Then by August 2026, the rollout will take place for Dell’s Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG), which manages cloud offerings, data servers, and AI infrastructure.The company has also revealed that it will start training the employees from February 3, 2026.

Read Dell COO and vice chairman Jeff Clarke’s full memo to Dell employees here:

Team,Our industry is moving faster than ever, and we’ve spent the past two years modernizing how Dell works so we can move even faster—simplifying and standardizing processes, eliminating inefficiencies and improving our tools and applications. That’s .Now we’re taking the next major step in this journey: rolling out standardized processes and an enterprise platform that will connect our data, break down silos, streamline our software applications and give us the foundation to work as one connected company.We’ll begin operating in this new way on May 3, starting with CSG, Finance, Supply Chain, Marketing, Sales, RevOps, Services and HR operations. ISG follows in August.For years, our strong functional orientation meant we built many variations of fundamental processes—multiple ways to develop, multiple ways to market, multiple ways to sell, multiple ways to service.That won’t cut it in an AI-driven world. We need one way—simplified, standardized and automated—so we can be more competitive and serve our customers better.This requires a mindset shift, from thinking and operating function-first to company-first. In some cases, that may mean we may make a choice that isn’t optimal for a particular function, but it speeds up decision-making or improves quality for the company as a whole. That’s the trade-off, and it’s the right one. We’re optimizing for Dell, not for individual functions.What’s ChangingStandardized processes and an enterprise platform mean no more workarounds, no holding onto old ways of working. Instead, we get seamless data flow, fewer repetitive tasks, faster decision-making and more time for work that drives real impact.This is a comprehensive change, not a gradual transition. Once we start operating in the new way on May 3, we won’t go back.The degree of change will vary by team and role. Some of you will experience significant shifts in how you work day-to-day. For others, the changes will be minimal. But all of us need to understand what’s happening and support each other through it.If your work spans both CSG and ISG, you’ll navigate the new processes and applications for CSG, and legacy systems for ISG until August. You’ll learn more in training.What This TakesLearning new systems and new ways of working isn’t easy, especially when you’re already moving fast. Here’s my ask of you: