THE PROCUREMENT INTERVIEW
COUPA CLARITY AI IMPACT REPORT
• Only 5 % of executive decision-makers use AI on a daily basis, compared to 57 % of their technical teams
• 86 % of companies recognise AI as essential for survival, yet just 29 % of companies have a clear, companywide strategy for implementation
• 72 % of AI initiatives and projects remain stuck in pilot mode
• 47 % of executives still expect meaningful business payback within 6 – 12 months
• 77 % of organisations cite data quality and system integration( including legacy IT) as the primary barriers to real results
• 80 % of companies now favor purchasing AI from external solutions like unified platforms rather than building it internally( only 10 % choose custom internal builds) indicating a decisive shift
• Only 2 % of AI investment is currently dedicated to orchestration
• 77 % of leaders prioritise simple task automation. This gap highlights a critical failure to move beyond isolated AI tasks or tools to achieve exponential enterprise-wide AI value
• While 65 % of executives prefer“ human-in-the-loop” oversight to manage fear of critical errors, 56 % of leaders are unsure if their company even has an AI governance policy
28 March 2026