{"id":2442,"date":"2026-05-18T15:57:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T15:57:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/?p=2442"},"modified":"2026-05-18T15:59:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T15:59:53","slug":"the-real-ai-challenge-for-businesses-isnt-tech-its-organizational","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/en\/news\/the-real-ai-challenge-for-businesses-isnt-tech-its-organizational\/","title":{"rendered":"The Real AI Challenge for Businesses Isn&#8217;t Tech\u2014It\u2019s Organizational"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">In recent months, I\u2019ve been reading a lot about the current state of AI adoption in enterprises.&#13;\nOne statistic in particular really stood out to me: according to <em>Boston Consulting Group<\/em>, only 11% of companies are actually generating significant value from their AI investments.<\/p>\n\n<p>What makes this interesting is that technology itself is no longer the main obstacle.<\/p>\n\n<p>The models exist.&#13;\nThe platforms exist.&#13;\nThe tools are becoming increasingly accessible.<\/p>\n\n<p>Yet many companies continue to find themselves in the same situation: they launch projects that never reach production; they create dashboards that no one actually uses; they present AI PoCs to the board that they then fail to integrate into their processes.<\/p>\n\n<p>Much initial enthusiasm soon turns into months of operational stalemate.<\/p>\n\n<p>For years, AI has been discussed primarily as a <strong>technological challenge.<\/strong>&#13;\nBut in practice, what many organizations are discovering is something different: the real bottleneck is <strong>organizational<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/proxyclick-visitor-management-system-l90zRbWvCoE-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2431\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/proxyclick-visitor-management-system-l90zRbWvCoE-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/proxyclick-visitor-management-system-l90zRbWvCoE-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/proxyclick-visitor-management-system-l90zRbWvCoE-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/proxyclick-visitor-management-system-l90zRbWvCoE-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/proxyclick-visitor-management-system-l90zRbWvCoE-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/it\/@proxyclick?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Proxyclick Visitor Management System<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/it\/foto\/uomo-in-piedi-accanto-ad-un-altro-uomo-seduto-usando-il-computer-l90zRbWvCoE?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Unsplash<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI projects do not fail because \u201cthe technology doesn\u2019t work\u201d<\/h2>\n\n<p>A common misconception is that AI initiatives fail because the models are not advanced enough.<\/p>\n\n<p>Research tells a different story.<\/p>\n\n<p><em>McKinsey<\/em> has repeatedly identified the main barriers to AI adoption as:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>lack of a clear strategy; <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>organizational silos; <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>unclear ownership; <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>difficulties integrating AI into business processes. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p><em>Deloitte<\/em>\u2019s global survey on AI governance also highlights that 31% of organizations still consider themselves unprepared to deploy AI effectively, mainly due to governance and organizational readiness issues.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is a critical point:<\/p>\n\n<p>many companies are adopting AI before defining <em>who owns<\/em> it, <em>who governs<\/em> it, and <em>how<\/em> it should actually integrate into the business.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that is where projects begin to slow down&#8230;<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The problem isn&#8217;t buying AI. It&#8217;s changing the way we work.<\/h2>\n\n<p>Many organizations are approaching AI the same way they have approached purchasing new software in the past: they choose a tool, launch a pilot project, and expect rapid results.<\/p>\n\n<p>But AI is not simply another technology layer to install.<\/p>\n\n<p>It introduces much more profound changes:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>redefines decision-making flows;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>modify operational roles;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>requires new skills;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>imposes data governance;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the need for collaboration between business and IT is increasing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>In an academic paper I recently read, AI readiness was defined as <em><strong>\u201can organizational learning problem, not a technology acquisition problem.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n<p>I believe this is a definition that perfectly sums up what many companies are experiencing.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/juno-jo-kcRx6hpKlvE-unsplash-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2433\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/juno-jo-kcRx6hpKlvE-unsplash-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/juno-jo-kcRx6hpKlvE-unsplash-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/juno-jo-kcRx6hpKlvE-unsplash-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/juno-jo-kcRx6hpKlvE-unsplash-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/juno-jo-kcRx6hpKlvE-unsplash-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/it\/@junojo?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Juno Jo<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/it\/foto\/persona-che-scrive-su-foglietti-adesivi-kcRx6hpKlvE?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Unsplash<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The real challenge: integrating AI into actual business operations<\/h2>\n\n<p>One of the most common mistakes is treating AI as a separate layer from business operations: experimenting with AI in isolation, accumulating tools, multiplying initiatives&#8230; all without changing processes.<\/p>\n\n<p>As a result, AI stays trapped inside demos and innovation initiatives without truly transforming how decisions are made.<\/p>\n\n<p>Organizations that are achieving concrete results are doing something different:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>redesigning workflows;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>improving data quality; <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>investing in training;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>establishing governance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>defining cross-functional ownership. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>According to BCG, organizations with stronger digital and organizational maturity are significantly more successful in implementing large-scale technology programs. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The growing risk of \u201cAI theatre\u201d<\/h2>\n\n<p>Another interesting phenomenon is emerging: what we could call \u201cAI theatre.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<p>These are companies that talk a lot about AI, purchase numerous tools, produce impressive demos, but without any real operational transformation.<\/p>\n\n<p>In many cases, AI adoption is driven more by competitive pressure and fear of falling behind than by a concrete strategy.<\/p>\n\n<p>A recent report found that many companies invested in AI primarily because of competitive <em>FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)<\/em>, without a clear roadmap or measurable objectives.<\/p>\n\n<p>And this may be one of the most important issues organizations will face in the coming years.<\/p>\n\n<p>Because today, \u201cdoing AI\u201d is no longer enough.&#13;\nThe real challenge is understanding where AI can create measurable business value.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/hunters-race-MYbhN8KaaEc-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2435\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/hunters-race-MYbhN8KaaEc-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/hunters-race-MYbhN8KaaEc-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/hunters-race-MYbhN8KaaEc-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/hunters-race-MYbhN8KaaEc-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/hunters-race-MYbhN8KaaEc-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/it\/@huntersrace?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Hunters Race<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/it\/foto\/persona-in-piedi-vicino-alle-scale-MYbhN8KaaEc?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Unsplash<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI is fundamentally a management challenge<\/h2>\n\n<p>Perhaps this is the most important takeaway.<\/p>\n\n<p>AI is no longer just a technological issue. It&#8217;s a managerial issue, involving leadership, governance, corporate culture, decision-making processes, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to redefine the way we work.<\/p>\n\n<p>The difference between companies experimenting with AI and companies that truly scale it will likely be less about models and more about organizational maturity.<\/p>\n\n<p>And that is why, today, talking about AI inevitably means talking about organizational transformation.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Sources<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Boston Consulting Group \u2013 <em>Scaling AI Pays Off, No Matter the Investment<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>McKinsey \u2013 <em>Adoption of AI advances, but foundational barriers remain<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deloitte \u2013 <em>Governance of AI: A critical imperative for today\u2019s boards<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>BCG \u2013 <em>Most Large-Scale Tech Programs Fail\u2014Here\u2019s How to Succeed<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Research paper \u2013 <em>Why AI Readiness Is an Organizational Learning Problem, Not a Technology Purchase<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p><em>Author: Claudia Paniconi | Marketing Manager DMBI<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p><em>Photo by<\/em>\u00a0<em>Christina-Wocintech on Unsplash<\/em><\/p>\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In recent months, I\u2019ve been reading a lot about the current state of AI adoption in enterprises.&#13; One statistic in particular really stood out to me: according to Boston Consulting Group, only 11% of companies are actually generating significant value from their AI investments. What makes this interesting is that technology itself is no longer [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2438,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[218,205,220,219],"class_list":["post-2442","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-ai-governance-en","tag-ai-strategy-en","tag-data-analytics-en","tag-organizational-change-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2442","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2442"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2442\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2443,"href":"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2442\/revisions\/2443"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dmbi.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}