Lack of structure, not lack of spend, is the biggest barrier to AI ROI, according to study of 500+ UK IT leaders.
London, UK, 28th January – UK organisations are accelerating their investment in artificial intelligence, yet most are still struggling to translate that spend into meaningful business outcomes, according to new research released today by Transparity. While AI budgets continue to grow, the findings show a disconnect between ambition and execution.
Transparity, a leading UK First Microsoft Frontier Partner, conducted the study in collaboration with YouGov, surveying over 500 UK IT leaders and decision‑makers from Corporate and Enterprise organisations (100–1,000+ employees) across sectors including professional services, financial services, healthcare, the public sector and non‑profits.
The research reveals that 59% of organisations now have dedicated AI investment within their IT budgets and 71% say AI is a strategic priority. Yet wider industry data shows that an overwhelming 99% report significant barriers when it comes to scaling and operationalising AI across their business.
The research, titled “The AI Disconnect: Why Structure, Not Spending, Is the Key to ROI”, highlights a growing gap between ambition and execution with unmanaged AI use, weak governance and a lack of clear strategy leaving many organisations stuck in pilot mode.
“Everyone believes AI will deliver a competitive edge, 87% of organisations have confirmed this, but belief alone isn’t translating into results,” said Paul Bolt, CEO at Transparity. “What our research shows very clearly is that throwing more money at AI doesn’t fix the problem. Structure does.”
Shadow AI, stalled pilots and uncertain returns
Despite growing budgets, the research reveals widespread operational and governance challenges:
- 80% of organisations lack a structured roadmap for AI adoption
- 66% have no AI security or governance policies in place
- 68% are not confident they know where AI is being used across the business
- Only 8% say they have full control over AI usage
This lack of visibility has fuelled a rise in “shadow AI”, with employees adopting tools independently often without IT oversight creating risks around data leakage, compliance and duplicated spend.
At the same time, many organisations remain stuck in proof-of-concept mode. While 44% are currently piloting AI initiatives, only 32% say AI is fully operational in one or more departments. As a result, just 34% of leaders are satisfied with the ROI from their AI investments.
Structure separates success from stagnation
The research found a stark contrast between organisations that take a structured approach to AI and those that do not.
Among organisations with a defined AI strategy, governance and delivery model:
- 95% are confident they know where AI is being used
- 76% are satisfied with AI ROI
- 85% believe AI is having a positive business impact
By comparison, organisations without structure report near-total uncertainty, with 59% unable to determine ROI at all and just 7% confident AI is delivering positive impact.
Leadership support also diverges sharply. 88% of structured organisations report supportive leadership, compared with only 15% among unstructured organisations, where resistance to further AI investment remains common.
From AI hype to AI factory
The research underpins the “AI factory” model developed by Transparity, which is designed to help organisations move from isolated AI experiments to a repeatable, governed approach to deployment.
This approach combines five core components: strategy and roadmap, executive sponsorship, skills and adoption, governance and security, and a modern data foundation, enabling organisations to move faster and safer.
“The winners aren’t the ones experimenting the most, they’re the ones building the right foundations,” added Jodie Ashwood, Chief Data & AI Officer of Transparity. “Structure doesn’t slow AI down. It’s the only way to deploy it at speed without creating risk.”
If you’re ready to assess your organisation’s AI readiness and identify high‑value opportunities, start with an AI Discovery Assessment and explore the full research here.
About the research
The research was conducted by Transparity, in partnership with YouGov, surveying over 500 UK IT leaders and decision‑makers from Corporate and Enterprise organisations (100–1,000+ employees) across sectors including professional services, financial services, healthcare, the public sector and non‑profits.
