AI trends in IT and operations report

The AI revolution is here to stay:
What’s next for leaders in IT and operations











Table of contents

  • Executive summary

Executive summary

Celigo conducted an independent survey in May 2024 of more than 1,200 global enterprise Operations and IT leaders who work across several industries, including manufacturing, retail, professional services, financial services, insurance, healthcare, construction, real estate, government and education. Survey respondents were asked about their current and future AI implementations, overall business objectives fueling their AI strategies, specific plans for using AI to improve operations and other corporate departments, as well as the barriers that could prevent successful enterprise-wide AI adoption.

Early success and adoption

The survey found that nearly all respondents have already implemented AI and are realizing early success, especially with increased productivity and efficiencies as well as optimized operations.

Moreover, IT and Operations leaders have very high hopes for AI and plan to increase their AI investments next year.

25%

Plan to spend 25-50% more on AI in 2025

76%

Already have dedicated resources and a budget for AI in place

82%

Are already following an AI strategy or roadmap for implementation

Most respondents reported early success with AI, however, some experienced barriers to widespread, enterprise-wide adoption. They said that the biggest challenges to AI adoption are security concerns over the use of AI, lack of understanding on what AI can do for the organization, employees’ fear of being replaced by AI, and IT teams that don’t have the time or resources to support all AI implementations.

The global survey data made it clear that overburdened IT teams are spread too thin to oversee all AI implementations. IT leaders are therefore looking for new ways to empower non-technical business users to create and manage their own AI solutions – with the caveat that they maintain proper IT governance.

And, many are actively encouraging business users to become more involved in company-wide AI and automation efforts. To drive their organizations’ overall AI goals, 68% embrace a “Citizen Developer” mindset, supporting business users who are eager to automate front- and back-office operations.

Survey respondents further emphasized the role of an integration strategy in driving both short- and long-term AI success. They revealed that the right integration strategy will democratize AI access, allowing business users to manage AI applications with the right IT governance guidelines. The survey responses further revealed that the right integration approach boosts data collection while better connecting SaaS applications across the enterprise, further providing a strong underpinning for long-term AI success.

While the AI Operations Revolution is off to an impressive start, organizations still need a thoughtful and thorough roadmap for accelerating AI transformations across both operations, IT, and other corporate department, which includes the following:

How to drive AI collaboration between technical and non-technical users at multiple levels

Ways to encourage experimentation with new AI technologies

Steps for integrating AI tools that automate routine tasks and facilitate faster decision-making

Best practices for upskilling both non-technical users and IT teams with the right training to yield a culture of continuous innovation that keeps pace with new AI advancements

AI is ushering in a brave new world of possibilities for Operations and IT leaders, and as such, Celigo provides a compass that navigates how they can transform their organizations in 2025 and beyond. This report concludes with a series of predictions on how AI will transform both front- and back-office operations over the next 1-3 years, providing guidance on how these teams can make their early AI investments flourish over the long term and impact every department across their organization while significantly boosting company profits and revenue growth.

KEY FINDINGS

The AI operations revolution is already under way

The global survey found that AI is gaining rapid momentum across enterprises of all sizes with Operations and IT departments leading the way in terms of both deployments and early successes.

Corporate functions actively using AI

72%

IT Department

50%

Operations

46%

Customer Service/Support

41%

Research and Development

37%

Marketing

Positive results from implementing AI

49%

Improvement in productivity and efficiency

45%

Optimized operations

38%

Enhanced customer experience

25%

Reduced costs

Nearly all respondents stated that AI is essential to automating operational functions.

The survey also found that AI is just as critical to the front office as it is to the back office.

Priorities for automating front/back office business processes

45%

Both front and back office

30%

Front office

25%

Back office

While IT and Operations leaders are working collaboratively on AI initiatives, they have slightly different priorities when it comes to prioritizing specific areas that require immediate operational improvements.

Priorities for immediate operational improvements

Automating or reducing manual processes

33%

IT leaders

21%

Operations leaders

Cutting costs

27%

IT leaders

35%

Operations leaders

Fortunately, both IT and Operations are united regarding the overarching business objectives for their AI implementations, with a majority of both IT and Operations leaders highlighting the value of improved productivity and efficiency.

Value of improved productivity and efficiency

63%

IT leaders

61%

Operations leaders

Organizations have high hopes for AI transformation – and will increase AI spend in 2025

Survey respondents revealed that they will rely on AI to achieve important business goals and plan to increase their AI investments next year.

82%

Stated that their organization is following an AI strategy or roadmap for implementation

76%

Indicated that dedicated resources and a budget for AI are already in place

Top areas of active AI usage across businesses

53%

Data analysis and insights

42%

Customer support

39%

Training and simulation

38%

Streamlining operations


IT and Operations leaders were optimistic about how AI will help their organizations reach business goals, with improved productivity and operations as the two areas with most enthusiasm.

How will AI help your organization reach its business goals?

62%

Improved productivity and efficiency

56%

Optimized operations

51%

Reduced costs

46%

Enhanced customer experience

42%

Improved sales and marketing

Key sectors for AI business process transformation

Respondents are eager to use AI to transform all business processes and prioritized the following four key sectors:

59%

IT services

52%

Analytics

51%

Data processing

32%

Marketing automation


Who is leading the AI mandate?

While nearly all respondents were optimistic about the impact of AI on their organizations, some had different experiences when it came to driving AI adoption across their enterprises.

26%

IT

19%

Departmentally driven

17%

C-Suite

Barriers to AI success rooted in lack of education, employee fears, security concerns

While most respondents reported early success with AI, nearly all felt held back by key challenges that impede the widespread adoption and acceptance of AI in their workplaces.

56%

Security concerns over use of AI

47%

Lack of understanding on what AI can do for their organization

46%

Employees/teams fear of being replaced by AI

33%

Other IT priorities have precedence over AI

The rise of the "Citizen Developer"

Overburdened IT teams, already understaffed and underfunded to begin with, do not have the time or resources to oversee all enterprise AI implementations, according to the survey data. Many IT teams are looking for ways to empower non-technical business users to create and manage their own AI solutions – with the caveat that they maintain proper governance. Moreover, most respondents are actively encouraging business users to get more involved in company-wide automation efforts.

The critical role of integration strategy

A foundational integration strategy provides the right “guardrails” that allow Citizen Developers to implement AI applications that maintain proper IT governance. But it also serves other purposes too, such as boosting data collection and integrating SaaS applications, which are critical for AI success.

Technologies used to gather data for AI

51%

Cloud platforms

46%

User interactions

44%

APIs

42%

Surveys & feedback

41%

Machine learning frameworks & tools

37%

Data mining

30%

IOT

18%

Webscraping

Respondents also reported challenges with integrating SaaS applications across their businesses, with five specific hurdles ranked as most significant amongst respondents.

Integration challenges

52%

Connecting data across applications

51%

Security

45%

Overall implementation

36%

Maximizing usage

21%

Governance

Survey respondents agree on the importance of integration strategy, but some are executing it in different ways. When asked how they are integrating the systems required for AI training and workflows, the following four integration vehicles ranked highest.

Integration solutions

36%

Integration Platform-as-a-Service (iPaaS)

36%

Direct API connections with various systems

17%

Stream processing frameworks

10%

ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) tools

A roadmap for AI transformation

As IT and Operations leaders embark on the next phase of their AI transformation journeys, they should follow an integration roadmap that will drive mass adoption of AI across their enterprises.

Five key steps to accelerate AI transformation:

1

Create a comprehensive AI strategy that aligns with business goals

  • This strategy should include a roadmap for AI adoption and a timeline for implementation.
  • Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) and success metrics to enable ROI measurement.
  • Strategy should include technical and non-technical employees at multiple levels.
  • Ensure the company has a documented AI policy and that all employees are trained on it.
2

Upskill technical and business employees

  • Provide training on AI tools and technologies. This will encourage a culture of continuous learning and innovation to keep pace with the rapid advancements in AI.
  • Create feedback loops whereby employees feel empowered to share their experience and learnings of AI solutions; implement regular knowledge-sharing sessions like “AI Lunch and Learns” or “Tech Talks”.
  • Recognize and reward employees who take the initiative to learn and apply AI in their roles.
3

Create an environment that encourages experimentation with AI technologies

  • Encourage a growth mindset by promoting a culture where continuous learning and experimentation are valued.
  • Provide resources and infrastructure including access to the latest (secure) AI tools, platforms, and technologies.
  • Facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration across departments. Create forums, internal networks, or communities of practice where employees can share their experiences, insights, and learnings from AI experiments.
4

Integrate AI into existing business processes

  • Conduct an inventory to determine which business processes require automation and prioritize them accordingly.
  • Define clear objectives, monitor progress, optimize for success and report on results.
  • Use a tool with the core purpose of integrating solutions and automating tasks, such as an iPaaS
  • Before company-wide rollout, pilot the solution with a small group and provide training for all stakeholders within the business.
5

Integrate AI tools that boost productivity

  • Focus on tools that automate routine tasks and facilitate faster decision-making.
  • Look for solutions that automatically identify and resolve errors in workflows. This will contribute to enhanced productivity, efficiency, and overall business performance.
  • Invest in solutions that enhance data analysis and decision-making, this will help businesses plan more effectively and reduce operational inefficiencies.

A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE

How AI will transform operations in 2025 and beyond

IT and Operations leaders must start planning for the future as upcoming advances in AI create new opportunities for them to innovate further. The following are several predictions from Celigo on how AI will dramatically transform both front office and back-office operations as well as improve customer experience and boost revenue growth in 2025 and beyond.

Front office operations

Customer experience enhancement

Personalized Interactions

AI will enable highly personalized customer interactions by analyzing vast amounts of customer data to predict preferences and tailor recommendations. Chatbots and virtual assistants will handle routine inquiries, providing instant responses and freeing up human agents for more complex issues.

Seamless omnichannel experience

AI will integrate customer interactions across various channels (social media, email, phone, etc.), ensuring a seamless and consistent experience. Customers will be able to switch between channels without losing context​.

Sales and marketing efficiency

Targeted marketing campaigns

AI will analyze customer behavior and market trends to create highly targeted marketing campaigns, increasing conversion rates and ROI. Predictive analytics will help identify potential leads and the best times to engage them.

Sales automation

AI will automate repetitive sales tasks such as data entry, lead scoring, and follow-up emails, allowing sales teams to focus on building relationships and closing deals​.​​

Back office operations

Operational efficiency

Automated workflow management

AI will automate routine back-office tasks like invoicing, payroll processing, and procurement, reducing errors and speeding up processes. This will enable employees to focus on strategic activities that add more value.

Predictive maintenance

In manufacturing and logistics, AI will predict equipment failures before they occur, allowing for preventive maintenance and reducing downtime​.

Data-driven decision making

Enhanced analytics

AI will provide advanced analytics capabilities, enabling real-time insights into business operations. This will support more informed decision-making and faster responses to market changes.

Resource optimization

AI will optimize resource allocation by analyzing data on supply chain operations, inventory levels, and workforce management, leading to cost savings and increased productivity.​

Positive impact on company profits

Cost reduction

Operational cost savings

Automation of routine tasks and predictive maintenance will lead to significant cost reductions. For example, McKinsey estimates that AI could save businesses up to 20-30% in operational costs by 2030​​.

Improved resource utilization

AI will enhance resource management, ensuring optimal use of materials, labor, and capital, which translates into cost savings and higher profit margins.

Revenue growth

Increased sales

Personalized customer interactions and targeted marketing campaigns will drive higher sales conversion rates. AI-driven sales strategies can identify and prioritize high-value opportunities, boosting revenue.

New business models

AI will enable new business models and revenue streams, such as AI-as-a-Service or data monetization, further enhancing profitability​.​

Positive impact on customer experience

Improved customer satisfaction

Faster response times

AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants will provide instant support, reducing wait times and improving customer satisfaction.

Personalization

Tailored recommendations and personalized experiences will make customers feel valued and understood, increasing their loyalty to the brand​.

Higher engagement and retention

Proactive service

AI will anticipate customer needs and address issues before they arise, leading to a more proactive service approach that keeps customers engaged and satisfied.

Enhanced user experience

Consistent and seamless experiences across all touchpoints will enhance the overall user experience, leading to higher customer retention rates​.

Survey Demographics

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