In its latest global survey, McKinsey reveals that while nearly nine out of ten organizations use AI, only a third have moved beyond pilot-phase to truly scale their AI initiatives. The message is clear: widespread adoption is happening—but enterprise-level impact remains the exception rather than the rule.

Crucially, organizations seeing the greatest value from AI do three things differently:

1. They set growth and innovation objectives, not just efficiency.

2. They redesign workflows to embed AI in how work is done, rather than bolt it on.

3. Their senior leadership owns and champions the AI agenda governance, human validation, talent and technology are consciously addressed.

The report also highlights important dimensions for Dutch and Benelux organisations (and consulting firms like us) to pay attention to:

• Experimentation is widespread, but scaling remains uneven. Smaller companies and those with less than €100 m in revenue lag behind their larger counterparts.

• The rise of agentic AI (systems that can act, not just predict) signals a new frontier, especially in IT, knowledge-management, and sectors such as technology, media, telecom and healthcare.

• Workforce change is anticipated: a significant portion of respondents expect reductions in headcounts from AI implementation but talent investment remains a priority.

• Risk is no longer an afterthought: governance, explainability, data privacy and reputation issues are becoming material as more negative AI outcomes are being reported.

For organisations ready to make AI a transformation engine rather than a test, the findings offer a crisp roadmap: align leadership, set bold goals, redesign workflows, invest in talent and governance and move from isolated use-cases to enterprise-scale deployment.

At Centralink, we help SMEs and international organisations in the Netherlands turn AI ambition into business value: defining the right use-cases, redesigning workflows, aligning leadership, and embedding governance frameworks. Let’s accelerate your journey from insight to impact.

Want to scale AI beyond experimentation?
Contact us at info@centralink.nl for a free consultation and start your AI transformation journey.