SAP Study 2026: AI-Driven Value Creation Is on the Rise—But Data Quality Remains the Core Problem

SAP Study 2026: AI-Driven Value Creation Is on the Rise—But Data Quality Remains the Core Problem

For the second time, SAP, in collaboration with Oxford Economics, has examined the actual value that companies derive from AI. The survey included 2,600 executives from 13 countries, including Germany. The results reveal a sector in the midst of transformation. Today, 30 percent of tasks in companies are supported by AI; in two years, that figure is expected to rise to 48 percent. The expected ROI is climbing from 16 to 21 percent, with German companies even exceeding the average at 24 percent.

At the same time, however, there are still issues with the fundamentals. Only 62 percent of companies consider their data to be AI-ready, a decline from the previous year. 73 percent cite data quality as the biggest hurdle to creating more value. And when it comes to governance, only 12 percent consider themselves well-positioned, while 69 percent of employees regularly or occasionally use unauthorized AI tools.

Respondents cited the uneven distribution of AI expertise among the workforce as their greatest concern regarding the use of AI, followed by a decline in judgment and decision-making abilities. In addition to technological advances, (continuing) training and clear guidelines remain at least as important.