Digitisation projects are generally complex and usually turn out to be more time-consuming than initially expected. The exact nature of the desired results should be determined well before the project starts – partly because whoever is funding the project will usually have made this a condition of support, but also because many similar projects will already have been carried out and these can be used as a guide. Yet many digitisation projects are launched without harnessing the available synergies. New software is implemented. Data formats are redesigned. In some cases, the entire system of project organisation is reinvented and tailored to meet the demands of a single project. Why? This paper describes some of the typical pitfalls associated with digitisation project workflows and explains how even very large projects can be managed without reinventing the wheel.