08 Oct 2025
by Chinia Watmerman

AI in Practice: Turning Hype into Real Business Impact

Artificial Intelligence has moved from the lab to the boardroom. Every week, new stories emerge about how it will revolutionise work, creativity, or customer service - and, occasionally, end civilisation. Between the hype and the hesitation, most leaders are asking a far simpler question: how do we make AI useful today? According to the Zoho Digital Health Study (2024), half of digital transformation leaders already see AI playing a significant role in their organisation, while one in five describe it as critical to success. The opportunity is clear, but the path from proof-of-concept to tangible outcomes still challenges many businesses.

From Buzzword to Business Value

AI is already delivering measurable benefits across the UK’s B2B landscape - often in areas that don’t make headlines. Intelligent automation is helping companies streamline repetitive tasks, while predictive analytics are improving decision-making and forecasting accuracy.

Customer experience is another key frontier. AI-powered chatbots and self-service tools are reducing response times and increasing satisfaction - but only when paired with human oversight and strong data foundations. In other words, successful AI doesn’t replace people; it empowers them.

The next evolution - Agentic AI - will see systems capable of managing entire workflows autonomously. These agents will make proactive decisions, anticipate gaps, and execute tasks end-to-end. It’s a promising leap, but one that will demand even greater clarity around accountability, ethics, and data transparency.

Building the Right Foundations

Technology alone doesn’t deliver transformation. As Dr Stefan Feuerriegel, Head of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence in Management at LMU Munich, notes: “The biggest challenge is often not the technology itself, but the successful integration into company processes.”

Three priorities consistently separate successful AI adopters from the rest:

  • High-quality data: Poor or fragmented data can derail even the most advanced models. Clean, unified, and goal-driven data is essential.
  • Responsible governance: With GDPR and the EU AI Act setting the tone for regulation, responsible data handling is no longer optional.
  • Cultural readiness: AI adoption is as much about people as it is about systems. Early engagement, training, and transparency build the trust needed for long-term success.

These aren’t tick-box exercises; they’re the building blocks of digital resilience — ensuring that organisations innovate with confidence and maintain public trust.

The Road Ahead

AI’s trajectory is accelerating, but so are expectations. Stakeholders now look for measurable outcomes - efficiency gains, better customer insight, and enhanced employee experience - rather than grand promises. For UK organisations, this means approaching AI as an enabler of smarter, more human-centred business.

Whether you’re starting small with process automation or exploring agentic AI, success depends on marrying technological capability with ethical, data-driven strategy. Done right, AI won’t replace human judgement - it will strengthen it.

Explore Further

To dive deeper into practical steps for adopting AI responsibly and effectively, download Zoho’s latest whitepaper, Ready for Artificial Intelligence: From Vision to Implementation - exploring where AI delivers value today, the challenges to anticipate, and how to turn vision into sustainable business impact.

Author
Chinia Watmerman

Chinia Watmerman

Marketing Manager, Zoho UK


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Authors

Chinia Watmerman

Chinia Watmerman

Marketing Manager, Zoho UK