Topic

Strategy

How executives are setting AI priorities, budgets and operating models.

AI now takes the largest share of mid-market investment dollarsPercent of investment dollars allocated to each area, mid-2026

AI30%
Plant or equipment19%
Information technology17%
More personnel9%
Facilities8%
Training and development7%
Acquisitions6%
Mediate risks4%

Source: National Center for the Middle Market, Mid-Year 2026 Middle Market Indicator, 2026, p. 5.

Reports on strategy

Bain · Sep 2026Technology Report 2026

Leaders expect a 95% developer productivity uplift in 1–2 years; current gains are 20–27%. Bain says AI moves bottlenecks into review and coordination.Executive survey

Gartner · Sep 2026Gartner Survey Finds Only 22% of Organizations Have Successfully Scaled AI Across Multiple Business Units (press release)

85% of functional leaders plan to increase AI spending in 2026 after allocating an average 12% of functional budgets to AI in 2025.Executive survey

OpenAI · Aug 2026Enterprise Signals: What Frontier Firms Are Doing Differently

OpenAI usage data shows agent use overtaking chat in enterprises, and the heaviest-using firms pulling further ahead of typical ones.Usage data

Deloitte · Jul 2026CFO Signals Q2 2026: AI governance and risk management

59% say balancing pressure to deploy AI quickly with managing risk is their top AI-governance challenge.Executive survey

Deltek · May 202617th Annual Deltek Clarity Government Contracting Industry Study

90% are using or planning to use AI in at least one business function in 2026.Benchmark

IBM · May 20262026 CEO Study: 5 plays for AI-first transformation

76% of organizations now have a Chief AI Officer, up from 26% a year earlier.Executive survey

Stanford HAI · Apr 2026The 2026 AI Index Report

Global corporate AI investment reached $581.7 billion in 2025, up about 130% from the prior year.Data compilation

Promethean · Mar 2026State of Digital Services 2026: An Uneven Return to Form

Average digital agency revenue grew 7.5% in 2025, with large agencies rebounding and small agencies growing slowest.Benchmark

Deloitte · Jan 2026The State of AI in the Enterprise 2026: The untapped edge

34% are using AI to deeply transform the business; 30% are redesigning key processes; 37% use AI at a surface level.Executive survey

EY · Jan 2026EY-Parthenon CEO Outlook Survey (January 2026)

58% expect AI to be a major growth engine in the next two years; 32% expect it to fundamentally reshape operations.Executive survey

PwC · Jan 202629th Annual Global CEO Survey: Leading through uncertainty in the age of AI

Only 12% of CEOs report AI delivered both revenue gains and cost reductions.Executive survey

Hinge · Jan 20262026 High Growth Study

Median growth for professional services firms cooled to 9.9%, the lowest since 2018.Benchmark

SoDA · Jan 2026Agency Outlook Study '26

81% of agencies use AI for creative ideation and 76% to automate or accelerate routine operational tasks.Executive survey

Menlo Ventures · Dec 20252025: The State of Generative AI in the Enterprise

Enterprise generative AI spend reached an estimated $37B in 2025, split roughly evenly between applications and infrastructure.Executive survey

Air Street · Oct 2025State of AI Report 2025

Average contract value for AI products hit $530k in 2025 and is expected to pass $1M in 2026.Data compilation

BCG · Sep 2025The Widening AI Value Gap: Build for the Future 2025

Only 5% of companies are 'future-built,' achieving AI value at scale; 35% are scaling with some returns.Executive survey

Bain · Sep 2025Technology Report 2025

Two out of three software firms have rolled out generative AI tools, but developer adoption remains low.Analysis

BCG · Jun 2025How Companies Can Prepare for an AI-First Future (AI-First Companies Win the Future)

Argues AI-first firms reshape competition: trust, brand, IP, proprietary data and AI-fluent talent gain importance, while scale and headcount matter less.Playbook

Microsoft · May 2025The Strategic CIO's Generative AI Playbook

Organized in three sections: the AI-ready organization, enabling all employees, and moving from functional workflows to intelligent agents.Playbook

Accenture · May 2025The front-runners' guide to scaling AI: Lessons from industry leaders

Only 8% of the 2,000 companies surveyed are 'front-runners' scaling AI enterprise-wide; 15% are 'reinvention-ready'.Playbook

OpenAI · Apr 2025Identifying and scaling AI use cases: How early adopters focus their AI efforts

Three steps: spot where AI helps (repetitive tasks, skill bottlenecks, ambiguity), teach six use-case primitives, then collect and prioritize use cases.Playbook

Bain · Jan 2025Transforming your business with AI: five questions for every CEO

Urges CEOs to form a clear view of how AI could reshape their industry's profit pools before setting an agenda.Playbook

SBA · Dec 2024AI for small businesses (SBA business guide)

Advises small businesses to start small, noting many AI tools offer free or low-cost tiers to test before committing.Playbook

IBM · Oct 2024The CEO's Guide to Generative AI

A 22-chapter series, each a short CEO briefing on one area: talent, customer service, cybersecurity, finance, procurement, operating model, and more.Playbook

WEF · Jan 2022Empowering AI Leadership: AI C-Suite Toolkit

Organized into five modules: introduction to AI, AI strategy, people and organization, responsible AI, and implementation, plus a sixth on specialized topics.Playbook

Google · Jun 2020Google Cloud's AI Adoption Framework

Frames AI capability across four areas: people, process, technology and data.Playbook

McKinsey · Nov 2018The executive's AI playbook

Interactive tool that sizes the AI value opportunity by industry using McKinsey market data.Playbook

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14 reportsEvergreen playbooksGuides and frameworks without survey data behind them. Useful when you are ready to act.12 reportsAI in professional servicesUtilization, pricing and adoption across consulting, agencies, accounting, law and engineering.

Strategy

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