Reconnecting with simplicity

In 2021, Sanofi embarked on a major simplification project. The goal: to take on the complexity that had become stifling after several decades of acquisition-driven growth. In order to refocus on the essentials, the company mobilized all of its employees, gathered thousands of suggestions and launched 80 global initiatives, as well as 700 local projects. It achieved tangible results: beyond the gains in efficiency, teams praised an increased ability to take action, saying they felt less hampered in their daily work.

Sanofi is far from being an isolated case. In numerous organizations, every transformation or evolution—acquisition, reorganization, digitization, launch of new offerings, regulatory change, etc.—adds an additional layer of complexity. This phenomenon notably translates into multiplying objectives. According to the Boston Consulting Group, companies in 1955 had to meet four to seven performance requirements; today, they pursue between 25 and 40, in response to often contradictory injunctions: to be both fast and rigorous, innovative and reliable, global and local, etc.

Part of this complexity is inevitable: it reflects the demands of a world that has become more unstable and more fragmented. But another part takes root more insidiously, over time: the part that arises from the accumulation of micro-decisions, of rules added for precautionary reasons, of insufficiently coordinated local initiatives. The result is superfluous complexity, which ends up feeding on itself—and then hindering action, diluting priorities and demotivating teams.

How can we counter this slippery slope? This synopsis proposes treating complexity not as a necessary evil, but as a strategic and managerial challenge. For while complexity cannot be eliminated, it can be contained. Certain companies choose to occasionally conduct major “housecleaning”. Others bank on more lasting reflexes, rooted in culture and practices. All of them seek to create the conditions for more fluid, more consistent, and more responsible collective action—without systematically adding new mechanisms. A simplification that is neither naive nor dogmatic, viewed as an approach of continuous improvement.

In this synopsis:
– Slowing complexity down: five questions to ask yourself before doing ever more
– Breaking with the inflation of complexity within your organization
– Aiming for simplicity in your innovations