Akeneo’s Agentic Commerce Reality Check Report reveals that 87% of UK organisations using AI are seeing measurable returns through productivity improvements, cost savings, and other commercial benefits. The report is based on a survey of 1,000 senior IT decision-makers across the UK, US, France, Germany, and Italy.
The UK findings show that AI is moving beyond experimentation, with 44% of organisations reporting significant, measurable benefits and ROI from AI adoption. This is level with France and ahead of the US, Italy, and Germany. A further 43% of UK respondents report moderate improvements in productivity or cost savings.
Measuring AI Performance
UK businesses are taking a commercial approach to assessing AI performance, with almost two-thirds of respondents (64%) measuring AI through efficiency and cost savings. The UK is also the market most likely to track AI’s contribution to revenue growth, cited by 60% of respondents.
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Customer experience quality is measured by 53% of UK organisations, while 37% monitor error reduction. None of the UK respondents say their organisation does not currently measure AI’s impact. The figures indicate that AI is increasingly being judged not merely as a means of automating existing work, but by its ability to improve wider business performance.
The most immediate evidence of AI’s impact can be seen within IT teams, with almost every UK respondent (97%) reporting some improvement in IT productivity. Some 44% say AI has delivered significant gains, materially reducing manual effort or time spent on core IT tasks across multiple workflows.
Confidence in AI Data
The UK’s performance is accompanied by comparatively strong confidence in the data and systems underpinning AI. Some 95% of UK respondents rate the product and operational data used by their AI systems as good or excellent, including 43% who describe it as accurate, consistent, well-governed, and trusted across teams.
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Structured enterprise platforms such as PIM, ERP, DAM, and CRM systems are the most widely used sources of AI data in the UK, cited by 71% of respondents. UK respondents are also highly confident about their ability to support AI-driven commerce, with 98% describing their organisations as very or somewhat ready across data quality, integration, governance, skills, and scalability.
However, turning data into AI-ready information still absorbs considerable resources, with UK respondents estimating that an average of 43% of total AI project effort is spent cleaning, structuring, or labelling data rather than developing models. As AI begins to produce measurable results, organisations are preparing to invest further, with 84% of UK respondents expecting their AI budgets to increase over the next one to two years.
Romain Fouache, CEO of Akeneo, states that “AI has reached the point where businesses are no longer being asked simply whether they are using it, but what it is contributing. Across every market in this research, organisations are reporting tangible returns, but the UK stands out for connecting AI investment particularly closely to efficiency, productivity, and revenue growth.” The next challenge is turning individual gains into repeatable, scalable value, which will require giving AI access to trusted, governed, and usable product information, and 95% of UK respondents believe their organisation’s data is good or excellent, with 43% describing it as accurate, consistent, well-governed, and trusted across teams.
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IT automation is the leading UK investment priority for the next one to three years, selected by 68% of respondents. This compares with an international average of 57%. Skills development and customer support are each priorities for 34% of UK organisations, followed by compliance and governance at 33%. The strong focus on IT automation reflects the significant gains already achieved in this area, with 44% of UK respondents reporting significant improvements in IT productivity.
The high level of confidence in AI’s potential is also evident in the expectations for future investment. Some 84% of UK respondents expect their AI budgets to increase over the next one to two years, including 36% who anticipate a significant increase. This appetite for additional spending is matched by a strong optimism about AI’s impact on their organisations during the next three years, with 96% of UK respondents expressing optimism, including 57% who are very optimistic.
Long-term Prospects for AI
The research suggests that UK organisations are well-placed to build on their existing successes with AI. With a strong foundation in data quality and governance, and a clear focus on commercial benefits, they are poised to drive further returns from their AI investments. Romain Fouache notes that the next challenge is to turn individual gains into repeatable, scalable value, which will require giving AI access to trusted, governed, and usable product information.
