A recent study by Accenture reveals that companies employing AI-led processes are outperforming their competitors, with a significant increase in revenue growth, productivity, and success in scaling AI use cases.
The Impact of AI-Led Processes on Business Performance
The study found that 74% of organizations have seen their investments in AI and automation meet or exceed expectations. Furthermore, 63% of these companies plan to intensify their efforts and strengthen these capabilities by 2026. The report, titled “Reinventing Enterprise Operations with Gen AI,” indicates that the number of companies with fully modernized, AI-led processes has nearly doubled from 9% in 2023 to 16% in 2024.
Companies that have embraced AI-led processes have seen 2.5x higher revenue growth, 2.4x greater productivity, and 3.3x more success in scaling AI use cases compared to their peers. However, the transformation to AI-led operations is not without its challenges. Arundhati Chakraborty, group chief executive of Accenture Operations, emphasizes that generative AI is not just about technology but also requires a mindset change that impacts the entire enterprise.
Key Insights from the Study
The study also found that “reinvention-ready” companies are moving faster and amplifying the impact of AI across their businesses. These organizations have already developed AI use cases in IT (75%), marketing (64%), customer service (59%), finance (58%), R&D (34%), and other core functions.
However, nearly two-thirds (64%) of companies still struggle to change their operations. They lag in building a robust data foundation, with 61% reporting that their data assets are not ready for AI, and 70% finding it hard to scale projects that use proprietary data.
The study also highlights the often-overlooked dependency on people. A staggering 82% of companies at the early stage of operations maturity have not applied a talent reinvention strategy or planned to meet workforce needs. Many executives (78%) indicate that AI and generative AI are advancing too fast for their organization’s training efforts to keep pace.
