Why the key to successful enterprise AI now lies in valuemaxxing

“Tokenmaxxing” is the buzzword of the moment. In practice, it means encouraging employees to use AI tools as much as possible, even as token consumption and costs mount. 

This initial push gave employees the freedom to experiment, build confidence with AI and see where the technology makes a difference. But experimentation was only the first phase.  

The question is no longer how frequently AI is being used, but how UK businesses can generate more value from every pound invested.  

Organisations need to shift from “tokenmaxxing” to “valuemaxxing” - focusing less on AI use and more on the measurable business value it creates. 

More prompts doesn’t always equate to higher productivity 

The reality is that the number of AI prompts submitted is about as indicative of business value as the number of emails sent. It shows activity, but tells us very little about what has actually been achieved.  

Individual AI tools can undoubtedly increase employee productivity. However, saving a few minutes on an email or summarising a document is very different from changing how an organisation operates. . 

To see returns at an enterprise level, businesses need to look at the workflows behind the work. Where are people losing time? Which decisions are being delayed? Which repetitive processes could be handled differently? That is where AI starts to become more than another productivity tool.  

This distinction is particularly relevant in the UK. For example, recent government research found that three-quarters of UK businesses using AI reported improved workforce productivity. However, 77% had not yet seen a change in revenue. The challenge, then, is not simply getting more people to use AI. It is turning those individual gains into something the wider business can measure. . 

AI agents are quickly becoming part of that strategy. Many enterprises are moving beyond standalone chatbots towards agents that can reason across information, coordinate multi-step workflows and take action across business systems. Momentum is evidently building, with recent Databricks research indicating a 327% surge in multi-agent workflows in just four months. 

Yet when token costs rise without a clear correlation to higher revenue, improved margins or reduced risk, a company’s CFO will rightly begin asking questions. What outcome are we buying? Which processes are we improving or replacing? How does that affect the business model? And how are we measuring the return?. 

At that point, AI stops being a question of individual productivity and becomes a leadership issue.  Businesses need visibility into where AI is being used, what it costs, which information it can access and how its outputs and actions are governed . 

Putting agents to work on real business problems  

A good first step is to identify processes where AI agents can deliver a clear and measurable result. 

In finance, that could mean automating reconciliations, forecasting or invoice processing. Across supply chains, agents could support more accurate demand planning and inventory management. In compliance, they could monitor transactions, check controls and flag risks that require closer human attention. 

However, agents also create much larger flows of information. To work effectively, they need access to relevant, contextual and governed enterprise data from across the business. If that information is fragmented, outdated or difficult to trust, even the most capable agent will struggle to produce reliable results.  

Extracting value from AI therefore depends just as much on the data infrastructure beneath it as on the models themselves. 

For businesses moving into this next phase, there are three important questions to ask: 

• What business problem are we trying to solve?  Start with a measurable outcome, such as improving sales forecasts, strengthening compliance or reducing case-processing times. Establish how success will be measured and appoint a responsible team before rollout. 

• What data does the agent need, and what should it be allowed to use? Agents need access to relevant and up-to-date business information, but organisations must also control permissions, data quality, provenance and how that information is used. 

• Are we using the right model for the task?  The most powerful model is not always the most effective. Routine tasks can often be handled faster and more cost-effectively by smaller models, while frontier models can be reserved for work requiring their advanced capabilities. 

Converting UK AI investment into measurable value 

Token consumption is easy to count. Business value is harder, but it is the measure that matters. The organisations that pull ahead won’t be those using the most AI tools. They will be those applying AI to the right problems, connecting it to trusted and well-governed data, and measuring what it changes. 

The UK has built strong momentum around AI adoption. The task now is to turn that momentum into better decisions, greater productivity and sustainable growth. That is what valuemaxxing should mean: moving the conversation from “how much AI are we using?” to “what is it helping us do better?” 

techUK - Seizing the AI Opportunity

The UK is a global leader in AI innovation, development and adoption.

AI has the potential to boost UK GDP by £550 billion by 2035, making adoption an urgent economic priority. techUK and our members are committed to working with the Government to turn the AI Opportunities Action Plan into reality. Together we can ensure the UK seizes the opportunities presented by AI technology and continues to be a world leader in AI development.  

Get involved: techUK runs a busy calendar of activities including events, reports, and insights to demonstrate some of the most significant AI opportunities for the UK. Our AI Hub is where you will find details of all upcoming activity. We also send a monthly AI newsletter which you can subscribe to here.

Upcoming AI events

23 – 24 September 2026

DigiGov Expo: The Implementation Stage for Public Sector Tech

London Partner event

28 September 2026

One year on: the Trusted Third-Party AI Assurance Roadmap

London Conference

29 September 2026

System intelligence: Plugging AI into the energy transition

London Panel discussion

Latest news and insights

29 Sep 2026

Call for contributions: techUK's AI Innovation Focus Week

Submit your contribution to techUK's AI Innovation Focus Week today

Opportunities

29 Sep 2026

Why the key to successful enterprise AI now lies in valuemaxxing

Read this guest blog from Databricks to learn more about valuemaxxing.

Industry views

16 Sep 2026

State of the EU address 2026: The EU’s priorities

On 16 September 2026, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her State of the EU address. This annual speech, first introduced in 2010, is delivered before the European Parliament and is meant to ensure transparency in the EU's political life while highlighting the EU Commission's key priorities.

techUK news and views

Subscribe to our AI newsletter

AI and Data Analytics updates

Sign-up to our monthly newsletter to get the latest updates and opportunities from our AI and Data Analytics Programme straight to your inbox.

Contact the team

Kir Nuthi

Head of AI and Data, techUK

×

Kir Nuthi

Head of AI and Data, techUK

Kir Nuthi is the Head of AI and Data at techUK. 

She holds over seven years of Government Affairs and Tech Policy experience in the US and UK. Kir previously headed up the regulatory portfolio at a UK advocacy group for tech startups and held various public affairs in US tech policy. All involved policy research and campaigns on competition, artificial intelligence, access to data, and pro-innovation regulation.

Kir has an MSc in International Public Policy from University College London and a BA in both Political Science (International Relations) and Economics from the University of California San Diego.

Outside of techUK, you are likely to find her attempting studies at art galleries, attempting an elusive headstand at yoga, mending and binding books, or chasing her dog Maya around South London's many parks.

Email:

[email protected]

Usman Ikhlaq

Programme Manager - Artificial Intelligence, techUK

×

Usman Ikhlaq

Programme Manager - Artificial Intelligence, techUK

Usman joined techUK in January 2024 as Programme Manager for Artificial Intelligence. 

He leads techUK’s AI Adoption programme, supporting members of all sizes and sectors in adopting AI at scale. His work involves identifying barriers to adoption, exploring solutions, and helping to unlock AI’s transformative potential, particularly its benefits for people, the economy, society, and the planet. He is also committed to advancing the UK’s AI sector and ensuring the UK remains a global leader in AI by working closely with techUK members, the UK Government, regulators, and devolved and local authorities.

Since joining techUK, Usman has delivered a regular drumbeat of activity to engage members and advance techUK's AI programme. This has included two campaign weeks, the creation of the AI Adoption Hub (now the AI Hub), the AI Leader's Event Series, the Putting AI into Action webinar series and the Industrial AI sprint campaign. 

Before joining techUK, Usman worked as a policy, regulatory and government/public affairs professional in the advertising sector. He has also worked in sales, marketing, and FinTech. 

Usman holds an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a GDL and LLB from BPP Law School, and a BA from Queen Mary University of London. 

When he isn’t working, Usman enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He also has a keen interest in running, reading and travelling.

Email:

[email protected]

LinkedIn:

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/usman-ikhlaq,https://uk.linkedin.com/in/usman-ikhlaq

Sue Daley OBE

Director, Technology and Innovation

×

Sue Daley OBE

Director, Technology and Innovation

Sue leads techUK's Technology and Innovation work.  This includes work programmes on AI, Cloud, Data, Quantum, Semiconductors, Digital ID and Digital ethics as well as emerging and transformative technologies and innovation policy.  In 2025, Sue was honoured with an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the Technology Industry in the New Year Honours List. She has also been recognised as one of the most influential people in UK tech by Computer Weekly's UKtech50 Longlist and was inducted into the Computer Weekly Most Influential Women in UK Tech Hall of Fame. 

A key influencer in driving forward the tech agenda in the UK, in December 2025 Sue was appointed to the UK Government’s Women in Tech Taskforce by the Technology Secretary of State. She also sits on the UK Government’s Smart Data Council, Satellite Applications Catapult Advisory Group, Bank of England’s AI Consortium and BSI’s Digital Strategic Advisory Group. Previously, Sue was a member of the Independent Future of Compute Review and co-chaired the National Data Strategy Forum. As well as being recognised in the UK's Big Data 100 and the Global Top 100 Data Visionaries in 2020, Sue has been shortlisted for the Milton Keynes Women Leaders Awards and has been a judge for the Loebner Prize in AI, the UK Tech 50 and annual UK Cloud Awards. She is a regular industry speaker on issues including AI ethics, data protection and cyber security.

Prior to joining techUK in January 2015, Sue was responsible for Symantec's Government Relations in the UK and Ireland.  Before that, Sue was senior policy advisor at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Sue has an BA degree on History and American Studies from Leeds University and a Master’s Degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Birmingham. Sue is a keen sportswoman and in 2016 achieved a lifelong ambition to swim the English Channel. 

Email:

[email protected]

Phone:

020 7331 2055

Twitter:

@ChannelSwimSue

Visit our AI Hub - the home of all our AI content:

 

Enquire about membership:

Become a techUK member

Our members develop strong networks, build meaningful partnerships and grow their businesses as we all work together to create a thriving environment where industry, government and stakeholders come together to realise the positive outcomes tech can deliver.

Learn more

 

 

Authors

Richard Shaw

AVP Field Engineering, UK and Ireland, Databricks