Connect with us

Technology

New Survey from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services Finds AI Adoption Remains High, Yet Value May Lag Without Modernization and Workflow Integration

Published

4 months ago

on

A critical AI success gap is emerging for organizations, with 30% surveyed seeing an impact on new revenue streams.

ORLANDO, Fla., April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Most organizations have moved beyond experimenting with artificial intelligence, but few are realizing its full value. New research from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, sponsored by Appian, finds that while 59% of organizations (who are moving forward with AI to some extent) have AI in production, the majority are currently focused on incremental gains that prioritize efficiency and productivity over top-line growth.

Notably, AI has the strongest impact in bolstering productivity, not enabling growth. Respondents indicated that of the AI performance measures their organization tracks, most see impact in productivity improvements (64%) and operational efficiency (58%), while metrics like new revenue streams (30%) and ROI (35%) are among the least likely to have improved. This points to a significant opportunity for organizations to use AI to deliver broader business outcomes and growth.

“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.”

AI still sits outside the flow of work

In most organizations, AI is being used alongside work, not built into how work gets done, limiting its ability to drive higher-level business outcomes. Only 18% of respondents report that AI is primarily integrated within workflows, while a larger share (34%) continue to use AI as standalone tools alongside processes/workflows, with another 34% reporting a mix of both approaches and 12% not yet using AI in processes/workflows at all.

Most see some returns on AI, but not yet at scale 

Most respondents are seeing some returns from AI investments, but only 16% report realizing a high degree of measurable value. The majority describe the impact as moderate (33%), slight (36%), or have no measurable value (8%). Still, expectations remain high, as 86% agree that their organization is looking to realize more business value from its use of AI. It’s clear that AI is delivering some results, but translating those results into meaningful, scalable business impact is proving difficult.

AI delivers value when embedded in workflows

As organizations advance their AI strategies, value is closely tied to how effectively AI is integrated into workflows and applied to operational work. Seventy-one percent of organizations embedding AI into processes realized substantial or moderate value from those efforts, according to respondents. In parallel, approximately three-quarters report strong returns from modernizing legacy infrastructure/systems (76%), integrating data sources (75%), and orchestrating processes/workflows across systems/applications (73%).

Legacy systems continue to limit AI’s impact

Nearly seven in ten respondents, 69%, agree that legacy systems are limiting their ability to scale AI across the enterprise. This reinforces the need for modernization and better integration across systems and data. Siloed or low-quality data (34%), a lack of integration across systems (31%), and a lack of AI talent/skills (30%) are also among the most commonly cited barriers to embedding AI into workflows.

AI agent adoption lags in core operations

The research also highlights differences in how AI agents are being applied across the enterprise. Organizations are more actively deploying AI agents in areas such as software development (35%), IT operations (31%), marketing and sales (26%), and customer service (25%). In contrast, agent adoption is more limited in core operational areas such as procurement (9%), manufacturing (10%), and supply chain (11%), where processes tend to be more complex and require greater control and consistency. As organizations look to expand AI into these environments, governance becomes critical.

Most organizations lack the guardrails needed to scale AI agents safely

Ninety-two percent of respondents agree that AI agents need rules-based guardrails to operate safely and effectively, yet fewer than half (48%) agree that their organization has defined such rules (among those at organizations using, considering or exploring agentic AI). As organizations explore agentic AI systems (currently used by 25% of organizations and under consideration by 62%), the need for clearly defined processes and guardrails will become even more critical. Without clear guardrails, agents can act unpredictably across systems, increasing the risk of unintended outcomes.

Process design is emerging as the key to unlocking AI value

Realizing the full value of AI and achieving sustainable ROI requires rethinking how work is structured and governed. According to respondents, organizations are increasingly focused on better defining rules/guardrails that AI must follow (50%), standardizing processes/workflows across functions (49%), and increasing cross-functional coordination (47%) to improve the success of AI implementations.

“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.”

Read the full study. 

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. For more information, visit appian.com. [Nasdaq: APPN]

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1488235/5943388/Appian_Caption_2700px_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/new-survey-from-harvard-business-review-analytic-services-finds-ai-adoption-remains-high-yet-value-may-lag-without-modernization-and-workflow-integration-302756865.html

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

Quickplay Launches Live Operations, Bringing AI-Enriched Orchestration and Operational Control to Live Broadcast Channels

Published

32 minutes ago

on

September 3, 2026

By

Operators can now control distributed stations, enforce standards network-wide, transform newscasts into social and vertical content, correct station errors in real-time all via a single console

AMSTERDAM , Sept. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Quickplay, the Content to Value Operating System for media and entertainment, today announced Live Operations, a cloud-native, centralized management control plane for managing live broadcast and OTT channels. With it, operators can now manage scheduling, signal control, ad decisioning, clip production, and monitoring and observability from one console. AI is distributed across entire live broadcast workflows, enabling newsrooms to apply intelligence in completely new ways including across editorial. Quickplay will publicly debut Live Operations at IBC 2026, Hall 5.G86.

Ideal for broadcasters and streaming operators running live-linear and FAST channels, news organizations managing distributed stations without full-time on-site engineering staff, sports rights holders with regional blackout requirements, and multi-channel operators running multiple simultaneous channels, Live Operations provides operational control at scale. At a time when broadcasters spend approximately 75% of their time on technical workflows, this capability unchains them from those responsibilities so they can focus on delivering the high-quality live programming viewers depend on.

Most operators manage live across a stack of tools that don’t share signals: scheduling in one system, signal control in another, ad break management in yet another, with clipping handled as a separate post-production workflow entirely. When something breaks, teams find out late and must work across multiple systems to fix it.

“Many broadcasters today use AI to do smart things in metadata, in packaging, in ad decisioning, each creating individual value, yet completely disconnected from the others. With live programming, the time needed to connect these dots is time operators simply don’t have. Viewers will have moved on, as will the revenue,” said Paul Pastor, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer, Quickplay. “AI at a single step creates value. But AI orchestrated across every step, across an entire broadcast network, creates compounding value. At IBC, we’re showcasing the power of this live AI workflow and highlighting the success Television New Zealand (TVNZ) and Gray Media are seeing with it.”

What Live Operations Does

Live Operations is the operator-facing control plane inside the Content to Value Operating System. From a single console, operators control:

Scheduler and EPG Management: Enables operators to manage metadata, and build and manage all content from one, centralized location including live events, VOD assets, slates, and replays. Unscheduled gaps and schedules conflicts are flagged and corrected before going live.Live Channel & Signal Control: Gives users control over what’s on air at each moment including input switching, slate insertion, fallback triggering, stream acquisition, and channel start and stop operations, all from a single dashboard.Ad Break and SCTE-35 Management: Enables users to automate ad break timing through SCTE-35 cues. Users can also view real-time metadata to improve ad decisioning, a revenue protection feature for ad-supported channels.Live Disruption and Fallback: Delivers automated and manual fallback protection for signal loss and unexpected disruptions. When the live input drops below configured health thresholds, the platform automatically routes output to a pre-configured looped VOD fallback asset without operator intervention. Fallback at any time can proactively be triggered at any time, and is local to the Quickplay platform, never dependent on an external signal source.Live-to-VOD and Clip Factory: Transforms each newscast into a catalog of distributable content automatically. AI analyzes live event recordings and packages it into a series of branded short clips, complete with new metadata, ready for verticalization and syndication, removing the burden of responsibility from producers and reporters. Monitoring & Observability: Ensures real-time visibility into every layer of the live delivery chain via a unified dashboard.

“Live has no margin for error,” said Juan Martin, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Quickplay. “Live Operations challenges today’s status quo by eliminating the need for disconnected systems so that if something breaks down during a live broadcast, teams are notified and a fix is in process in real-time. No dead air, no missed SCTE cues, no failed signals. This is AI doing what it should do, backed by the assurance of a Content to Value Operating System purpose-built to support transformation.”

Live Operations is a part of Quickplay’s Content to Value Operating System which connects every step of digital media production and monetization into one smart system, built on five engines: Stream, Enrich, Activate, Engage, and Maximize. Live Operations lives within Stream, which delivers broadcast-grade, scalable streams for live, VOD, catch-up, and virtual channels. As a part of the larger system, Live Operations is inherently connected to other engines, bringing the value of true orchestration to the entire workflow of a broadcast network.

Quickplay will showcase Live Operations at IBC 2026 in Hall 5.G86. Schedule your meeting here.

About Quickplay

Quickplay is the Content to Value Operating System for media and entertainment, connecting every stage of the content lifecycle, from creation to monetization. By applying intelligence where it drives measurable impact, Quickplay enables broadcasters, sports operators, streamers, and creators to turn their catalogs into revenue. Quickplay powers 2.5 billion streaming minutes per month, with 5 billion ad impressions served and 99.999% streaming uptime.

Quickplay was founded by four innovators with deep media and entertainment technology experience from AT&T, McKinsey and Company, The Walt Disney Company, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Headquartered in Toronto, the company has offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, Chennai, and throughout Europe. For more information, visit quickplay.com.

Breakaway Communications for Quickplay
QuickplayPR@breakawaycom.com
+19087054596

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/quickplay-launches-live-operations-bringing-ai-enriched-orchestration-and-operational-control-to-live-broadcast-channels-302869008.html

SOURCE Quickplay

Continue Reading

Technology

L.A. Works Brings Angelenos Together for Week of Service Marking 25th Anniversary of September 11

Published

32 minutes ago

on

September 3, 2026

By

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This month, L.A. Works will bring Angelenos together for a week of hands-on service opportunities marking the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001, supported by the 2026 9/11 Day Grant Program, administered by the nonprofit 9/11 Day in collaboration with AmeriCorps.

L.A. Works joins a nationwide movement to transform the anniversary of 9/11 into America’s Day of Doing Good, reclaiming the day as an annual moment of national reflection, unity, and action. With more than 100 million Americans now having little or no personal memory of September 11, 2001, local service projects ensure future generations remember not only the tragic events of that day, but also the extraordinary compassion, courage, selflessness, and spirit of unity that emerged in its aftermath.

Through projects supporting first responders and Eaton Fire survivors, L.A. Works is giving Angelenos a tangible way to honor those who were lost and those who responded to the tragedy while fostering a stronger sense of connection and shared responsibility across our communities.

The week’s flagship events include:

September 9: Beautification at the Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center for emergency service heroes with fire engine restoration, painting and plantingSeptember 13: Fire mitigation at Barnsdall Art Park by clearing high risk invasive plants and disposing of brush

“September 11 was a terrible day of loss, and twenty-five years later, we have an opportunity to honor those who were lost and put in harm’s way by choosing service,” said Deborah Brutchey, Executive Director of L.A. Works. “When people come together to care for their neighbors, we strengthen the connections that hold us in community. That’s something we can choose to carry forward.”

Learn more at www.laworks.com.

ABOUT L.A. WORKS
Since 1991, L.A. Works has united Angelenos and inspired action for a more equitable LA. As the only nonprofit in Los Angeles that mobilizes tens of thousands of volunteers each year across a wide range of interconnected issues, L.A. Works organizes and recruits volunteers to directly impact vulnerable communities while strengthening the fabric of civil society. In 2025, L.A. Works volunteers gave more than 175,000 hours of service, which represents $7,024,500 in added capacity for nonprofits across Los Angeles County. More at www.laworks.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/la-works-brings-angelenos-together-for-week-of-service-marking-25th-anniversary-of-september-11-302868322.html

SOURCE L.A. Works

Continue Reading

Technology

AI Transformation Firm SoftSnow Named an OpenAI Select Partner

Published

32 minutes ago

on

September 3, 2026

By

SoftSnow, an AI transformation partner that helps mid-market organizations build AI-first operating models, today announced that it has been named an OpenAI Select Partner within the OpenAI Partner Network.

CHICAGO, Sept. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — SoftSnow, an AI transformation partner that helps mid-market organizations build AI-first operating models, today announced that it has been named an OpenAI Select Partner within the OpenAI Partner Network.

“Being named an OpenAI Select Partner reflects the way SoftSnow already works with clients: bringing OpenAI’s frontier models to organizations and building them around how each team already works,” said Reid Valfer, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, SoftSnow.

The OpenAI Partner Network is a global program for partners to build, sell, and deliver AI solutions with OpenAI. It brings together partners with deep industry expertise, delivery capabilities, and customer relationships while equipping them with resources, enablement, and support to help enterprises adopt OpenAI frontier models and products and turn them into measurable impact.

As an OpenAI Select Partner, SoftSnow will continue working with OpenAI to help organizations build, deploy, and scale AI solutions responsibly and effectively. This work will help organizations get more useful work from every token and stronger performance per dollar with GPT‑5.6, while using ChatGPT Work to turn ambitious goals into finished work. By integrating strategic planning, precise technical execution, and structured change management, SoftSnow transforms AI from concept into a tangible catalyst for measurable growth and lasting cultural change.

SoftSnow supports organizations across financial services, professional services, real estate, construction, marketing, and manufacturing as an embedded operator, building AI agents and workflows around how each team works and guiding adoption from there. Its work includes automating supplier pricing and estimating workflows for a construction products distributor and delivering agents for a marketing and advertising agency to speed up new-business responses, among other engagements.

Looking ahead, SoftSnow plans to expand its OpenAI-related offerings, invest in talent and enablement, and scale customer deployments, helping customers translate AI ambition into business outcomes.

Learn more about the OpenAI Partner Network: https://openai.com/business/partners/

About SoftSnow

SoftSnow is an AI transformation partner that helps mid-market organizations build AI-first operating models. Working as embedded operators, the SoftSnow team maps where AI creates the most value through its AI Opportunity Matrix™, then builds the role-specific agents and workflows that turn those priorities into daily work. The team also guides the change management and training that make adoption last. SoftSnow is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Learn more at https://www.softsnow.ai.

Media Contact

Gabriela Belli, SOFTSNOW LLC, 1 (312)848-8570, info@softsnow.ai, https://softsnow.ai/

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/ai-transformation-firm-softsnow-named-an-openai-select-partner-302867396.html

SOURCE SOFTSNOW LLC

Continue Reading

Trending