Although there is a lot of talk about AI; it has not yet reached many companies. The average utilisation rate among companies in Germany; Austria and Switzerland is only 20 per cent. This is one of the key findings of a study conducted by the management consultancy ERA Group and the German Association for Materials Management; Purchasing and Logistics (BME) among 155 companies. Other findings include: AI has so far been driven more by employees than by management. In addition; AI is more likely to be associated with goals such as process optimisation and cost reduction than with the development of new business models or sales growth.
AI has not yet been widely adopted by companies
"The study clearly shows that artificial intelligence has not yet been widely adopted in companies;" says Matthias Droste; Country Manager DACH at ERA Group. According to the study; AI is only used in 23 per cent of purchasing; 15 per cent of supply chain; 9 per cent of production and 7 per cent of product development and finance. Previous studies had found a usage rate of 83 per cent in marketing and 41 per cent in HR. These areas were explicitly not surveyed in this study.
Opportunities are not being exploited
"The low level of use is particularly surprising because AI could be used to compensate for the shortage of skilled workers; for example in the area of scheduling; and to monitor risks more effectively;" says Droste. However; only 7 per cent use AI for route planning and 8 per cent for risk assessment of supply chains. "There is also a lot of catching up to do when it comes to predictive maintenance;" says Droste. Only 9 per cent of the companies surveyed use predictive maintenance.
Initiative comes from employees
So far; AI has been driven more by employees than by management. Droste: "Top management must address the topic of AI; formulate clear goals and measures; and provide the necessary resources." Only within the framework of an overall AI strategy can the good and appropriate initiatives of employees become a success story.
Companies use AI iteratively – not disruptively
"Most companies want to use AI to improve existing processes and reduce costs; but not to develop new business models;" says Droste. Against the backdrop of intense international competition; there is a lack of courage to break new ground. This is also evident in the fact that market expansion or increased sales are rarely associated with AI.
