The 2026 Process Optimization Report

1,649 business leaders on making Enterprise AI work

Get the report

Take the quiz

Is this the year of the agentic enterprise? What does Enterprise AI need to succeed? And what role do processes play in getting AI ROI? Discover what business leaders are really saying about AI.

https://delivery-p141552-e1488202.adobeaemcloud.com/adobe/assets/urn:aaid:aem:9208e76a-ea6d-4554-9c30-f5a9049d8a8f/original/as/251223_2026ProcessReport_InteractiveWebpage_Module1_Hero_1620x1078px.jpg
https://delivery-p141552-e1488202.adobeaemcloud.com/adobe/assets/urn:aaid:aem:3d1c4894-16b1-45d1-a30e-91cbb74ba84b/original/as/AI_PEX_16_9_logo_only.mp4

AI, ROI and a global survey

89%

say AI is their biggest opportunity to compete

85%

aim to become agentic enterprises within three years

47%

cite ‘lack of expertise’ as their top hurdle to adopting AI

<iframe src="https://celonis.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8p2SfEqngHc8jDU" width="100%" frameborder="0" title="Celonis Process Optimization Survey" style="min-height: clamp(500px, (100vw - 1919px) * 1000, 560px);" id="take-the-quiz"></iframe>

<script>

window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {
  if (event.data?.type === 'qualtricsResize') {
    const iframe = document.querySelector('iframe');

    let height = event.data.height;

    if (event.data.isStart) {
      height = 500;
    } else if (event.data.isEnd) {
      height = 1080;
    }

    iframe.style.setProperty(
      'height',
      height + 'px',
      'important'
    );
  }
});



</script>

The year the agentic enterprise takes flight?

Business leaders have high hopes for Enterprise AI. Autonomous agents, capable of dynamic reasoning and decision making, are at the center of the story. In fact, 85% of businesses aim to become ‘agentic enterprises’ within the next three years, with 90% either currently using or exploring the use of multi-agent systems.

Readiness stands in AI’s way

Just 6% of business leaders cite resistance to change as a major hurdle to scaling AI. Instead, operational readiness is the obstacle that stands in the way of AI success in 2026. Business leaders report their top three hurdles to AI success as:

1. Lack of expertise
2. Misalignment between departments,
3. Difficulties getting AI to understand business context (rules, KPIs, benchmarks, etc.)

DAM Image URL

Unlocking AI’s next level

89% believe that AI solutions can only deliver ROI if they have the context of how the business runs. How will context help make agentic ambitions a reality? Find out with just one click below...

Get the report

DAM Image URL

Carsten Thoma

President, Celonis

“While business leaders are leaning boldly into an agentic AI future, the reality is that many are struggling to translate that ambition into tangible ROI right now. For AI to truly work for the enterprise, it needs more than just data—it needs context. By using Process Intelligence to give AI a shared understanding of how a business actually flows, we’re finally turning that ambition into continuous, measurable value.”

https://delivery-p141552-e1488202.adobeaemcloud.com/adobe/assets/urn:aaid:aem:1e9c0eb0-c1de-4915-bfbb-7488dccd1b70/original/as/251223_2026ProcessReport_InteractiveWebpage_Module7_Quote_1212x1620px.jpg

Process Optimization Report 2026: Executive Summaries

Get the key findings by department

DAM Image URL

Process Optimization

Find out how Process Optimization leaders are making processes work to unlock AI ROI.

Download the datasheet

DAM Image URL

IT

Find out what IT leaders really think about AI adoption and how it can help with modernizations and migrations.

Download the datasheet

DAM Image URL

Supply Chain

Supply chain leaders on getting end-to-end visibility, top AI use cases, and managing disruptions.

Download the datasheet

DAM Image URL

Finance & Shared Services

Discover how Finance & Shared services leaders are making AI work, and their ambitions for the agentic age.

Download the datasheet

image

Process Optimization Report 2026

The year the agentic enterprise takes flight

Read our third annual Process Optimization Report and discover how 1,649 senior business leaders across the world are using AI to transform their operations.

Download the report

The 2026 Process Optimization Report

Is this the year of the agentic enterprise? What does Enterprise AI need to succeed? And what role do processes play in getting AI ROI? Discover what business leaders are really saying about AI.

form url
https://www2.celonis.com/l/238122/2026-01-09/3pg4ts
redirect url
https://delivery-p141552-e1488202.adobeaemcloud.com/adobe/assets/urn:aaid:aem:1eb9d2d8-c05a-431a-9769-7f90db6d1d2b/original/as/2026%20Process%20Optimization%20Report_eBook.pdf
name
download
asset
content_download
tracking label
finance_report_2025
modal-hash
modal-form