The ROI blueprint: turning AI and automation into business value

AI tools have become essential for business, with most companies moving from testing to action. Yet, despite massive investment, only one in five organizations is seeing the results they hoped for, and analysts predict up to 30% of generative AI projects could be scrapped this year.

This churn isn't necessarily a failure of planning, but a natural symptom of the early AI revolution; as business leaders are still discovering which workflows will stick, making it difficult to measure success by efficiency outputs alone.

As budgets tighten and leadership demands proof of value, the definition of ROI must evolve. However, realizing the full potential of these initiatives requires recognizing that in this experimental phase, the most valuable "return" is the creation of an AI-ready culture.