Enterprise AI investments struggle as leaders lag implementation

By Vriti Gothi

A widening gap between executive AI fluency and implementation capability is emerging as a key reason why enterprise AI investments are failing to deliver returns, according to new research released by spend management platform Coupa.

The Coupa Clarity AI Impact Report, developed in partnership with Incisiv Research and based on responses from more than 600 senior business leaders globally, finds that while AI is widely viewed as mission-critical, most organisations remain stuck at the pilot stage, unable to translate ambition into measurable business value.

Only 5% of executive decision-makers surveyed use AI on a daily basis, compared with 57% of technical teams, highlighting a disconnect between those funding AI programmes and those responsible for execution. While 86% of organisations consider AI essential to long-term survival, just 29% report having a clear, company-wide AI strategy. As a result, 72% of AI initiatives remain in pilot mode, even as nearly half of executives expect meaningful returns within a year.

Data quality issues, legacy systems and integration challenges were cited by 77% of respondents as the main barriers to scaling AI beyond experimentation. The report suggests that this misalignment is increasingly shifting enterprise preferences toward packaged solutions rather than bespoke development.

According to the findings, 80% of organisations now favour purchasing AI capabilities through unified platforms, compared with only 10% that prefer building tools in-house. Despite strong interest in task automation, just 2% of AI investment is currently directed toward orchestration layers that enable enterprise-wide coordination and governance. More than half of executives also remain uncertain whether their organisation has a formal AI governance framework in place.

“This research is a wake-up call,” said Dennis Bruder, Chief Product Officer of AI at Coupa. “The bar for ROI on AI investments has been substantially raised. To achieve aggressive automation goals over the next decade, executive leaders must move past theoretical commitment and focus on platforms that combine infrastructure, governance and workforce adoption.”

The report concludes that real AI returns will depend less on isolated tools and more on integrated platforms that align leadership strategy, governance and operational execution—particularly in finance, procurement and supply chain functions where automation and compliance requirements intersect.