From Buzzword to Bottom Line: 4 Ways AI Delivers ROI

TL;DR: True AI ROI requires moving beyond hype to focus on strategic alignment, workforce capability building, and industry-specific applications. UK organisations face a 114% increase in AI skills shortages, making workforce development critical to realising AI investment returns.

Despite £180 million invested in UK AI research and innovation hubs, over half of UK tech leaders face severe AI skills shortages—a 114% increase since 2024, according to Nash Squared Survey. Phil Lewis, SVP Solution Consulting International at Infor, outlines four practical approaches to achieving measurable AI returns.

Context and Background

The UK AI landscape reveals a critical disconnect between investment and capability. Whilst 80% of organisations recognise that success depends on adopting new technologies, many rush to implement AI without clear ROI strategies. This gap between ambition and execution creates waste and missed opportunities.

The most productive companies investing in AI-driven decision-making spend 26% more on workforce development, signalling that technology alone doesn’t deliver returns—people power the transformation.

Four Practical Approaches to AI ROI

1. Look Beyond the AI Hype

Identify where AI delivers greatest impact by examining functions burdened by repetitive tasks, costly operations, or slow decision-making. Follow a practical approach: identify pain points, test solutions on small scale, then expand successful pilots. This gradual adoption ensures lasting improvements rather than minor efficiency gains.

2. Adapt AI to Business Priorities

Align AI initiatives with core business priorities over 3-5 years—whether reducing operational costs, improving customer experience, or accelerating product development. Manufacturers using intelligent algorithms anticipate disruptions before they happen; food and beverage businesses forecast which products to scale based on trend data. Without clear plans linking AI to business priorities, companies face higher costs and slower delivery.

3. Invest in People, Not Just Technology

AI technology is only as good as the people managing it. Real ROI comes from equipping teams to use AI confidently—building skills in machine learning, predictive analytics, and data literacy. Practical steps include partnering with educational institutions, creating internal training academies, or enabling cross-departmental knowledge transfer. In manufacturing, initiatives like Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) coordinate technical requirements with hiring pipelines.

4. Deploy Industry-Specific AI Solutions

Generic AI solutions rarely unlock full value. In retail and fashion, AI speeds design approvals and adapts products to shifting trends. In food and beverage, it automates label translation and forecasts consumer demand. Forward-thinking businesses strategically deploy AI in high-impact areas like supply chain optimisation and predictive forecasting for greater efficiency and agility.

Looking Forward

The UK AI skills crisis presents both challenge and competitive advantage. Organisations that invest in both talent and technology—training workforces whilst deploying AI strategically—will lead the next era of business transformation. The gap between AI investment and capability delivery will separate leaders from laggards.

As Lewis notes: “Businesses that understand that investing in both talent and technology will be poised to lead the next era of business transformation, setting precedent for long-term success.”

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