A new study from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, sponsored by Appian, reveals that while 59% of organizations have successfully moved AI into production, most remain focused on incremental efficiency gains rather than top-line growth. The research highlights a significant "inflection point" for enterprises where AI impact is strongest in bolstering productivity (64%) and operational efficiency (58%), while critical growth metrics like new revenue streams (30%) and overall ROI (35%) continue to lag.
59% of organizations have AI in production, primarily for efficiency.
Only 16% of respondents report realizing a high degree of measurable value from AI.
69% of leaders cite legacy systems as a primary barrier to scaling AI enterprise-wide.
AI integration remains low, with only 18% primarily embedding AI within workflows.
92% agree AI agents need rules-based guardrails, but only 48% have defined them.
High returns are linked to modernizing infrastructure (76%) and process orchestration (73%).
The research indicates that AI currently sits "outside the flow of work" for a majority of businesses. Approximately 34% of organizations use AI as standalone tools, and another 34% utilize a hybrid approach. This lack of deep integration limits AI's ability to drive higher-level business outcomes. However, the data suggests that value is closely tied to integration: 71% of those who have embedded AI into their processes realized substantial or moderate value.
"Enterprises are at an inflection point. Instead of using AI to drive productivity, organizations must evolve to focus on business growth. That's where Appian comes in," said Matt Calkins, CEO of Appian. "The true potential of AI can only be realized when it moves from a standalone tool to an embedded worker that drives revenue. To get there, leaders must prioritize the foundational orchestration and rules-based guardrails required to safely apply AI to high-impact work."
Scaling AI remains a challenge due to technical and structural hurdles. Beyond legacy systems, respondents identified siloed or low-quality data (34%), a lack of system integration (31%), and a talent shortage (30%) as major impediments. To counter these issues, organizations are increasingly looking toward modernizing infrastructure and orchestrating workflows across disparate applications to unlock measurable ROI.
While AI agent adoption is growing in software development (35%) and IT operations (31%), it lags in core operational areas like procurement (9%) and manufacturing (11%). These complex environments require high levels of control and consistency. The study finds a critical gap in safety: while 92% of respondents agree that AI agents require rules-based guardrails to operate effectively, fewer than half have established these protocols.
"Organizations are adopting AI, but many haven't integrated it into the core processes that drive business outcomes," said Alex Clemente, managing director of Harvard Business Review Analytic Services. "Those that successfully embed AI into workflows will be better positioned to realize meaningful value."
The shift from productivity-focused AI to growth-focused AI requires a fundamental rethink of process design. By standardizing workflows and implementing strict governance, organizations can move past incremental efficiency toward sustainable, scalable business impact.
ABOUT THE RESEARCH
In March 2026, Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, sponsored by Appian, surveyed 385 business decision makers from organizations that are exploring, piloting, or actively using artificial intelligence (AI).
ABOUT APPIAN
Appian provides process automation technology. We automate complex processes in large enterprises and governments. Our platform is known for its unique reliability and scale. We've been automating processes for 25 years and understand enterprise operations like no one else.
TechIntelPro empowers B2B technology decision-makers with the latest industry trends, deep insights, leadership perspectives and actionable intelligence to drive both organizational and professional milestones—and thrive on the tech pulse.