Stop Pasting AI on Top of Old Habits

The AI Layer Problem

In many organizations, AI has been introduced as a productivity layer on top of existing processes.

Meeting summaries.
Coding assistants.
Content generation.

These tools are useful. They save time and improve efficiency. But they rarely change how a business fundamentally operates. The BCG report shows that Nordic companies allocate a large share of their AI investments to off the shelf tools designed for incremental productivity improvements. That approach creates quick wins but rarely transformational value.

Companies that capture meaningful returns from AI take a different approach. They redesign workflows rather than simply automating tasks.

From Productivity Tools to Business Transformation

When AI is applied to individual activities, the result is usually modest efficiency gains. When it is used to rethink entire workflows, the impact can be far greater.

Consider how AI can transform a full process rather than a single step.

Marketing teams can generate insights, create content and optimize campaigns in real time.
Supply chains can continuously coordinate forecasting, inventory and logistics decisions.
Customer service operations can resolve requests from start to finish instead of simply assisting human agents.

In these situations, AI becomes part of the operating model rather than just a productivity tool.

This is where the real value appears. Not in automating isolated tasks, but in redesigning how work gets done.

Leading AI adopters globally allocate more than 50 percent of their AI budgets to redesign workflows, while Nordic companies allocate closer to 30 percent.

This view is increasingly reflected in broader industry research.

Recent work from McKinsey highlights that successful AI initiatives are not built around individual tools or isolated capabilities, but around connected systems. Real impact comes when organizations link data, compute, models, platforms and applications into a coherent whole, rather than deploying AI in fragments.

In practice, this reinforces the same conclusion. AI delivers value when it becomes part of how the business operates, not when it is layered on top.

The Next Frontier: AI That Acts

Another development accelerating this shift is the rise of agentic AI.

Unlike earlier AI systems that analyze information or generate responses, agentic systems can observe situations, make decisions and act. They can monitor workflows, trigger actions in business systems and coordinate tasks across multiple tools.

Globally, adoption of these systems is growing quickly. In the Nordics, many companies are experimenting with agents, but investment levels remain relatively cautious. Only a small share of AI budgets is currently directed toward these more advanced capabilities.

That caution is understandable.

Agentic systems require strong data integration, reliable infrastructure and clear governance. Implementing them successfully means rethinking not only technology, but also processes, roles and decision making structures.

The Organizational Challenge

Technology alone is rarely the main barrier to AI value creation.

More often, the challenge is organizational.

The BCG study highlights several structural obstacles common among Nordic companies. Limited execution capacity, fragmented ownership of initiatives, data and infrastructure constraints, and unclear governance around AI investments all slow progress.

These challenges often become more visible in large and decentralized organizations, which are common across the Nordic region.

Decentralization can be a strength. It allows decisions to be made close to customers and markets and often encourages entrepreneurship and accountability.

However, AI initiatives frequently cut across functions, systems and business units. Without clear ownership and shared priorities, even promising initiatives can remain isolated pilots rather than scalable solutions.

Successful organizations combine local initiative with strong strategic direction. They create shared frameworks and priorities that allow AI solutions to scale across the organization.

Turning Ambition into Value

The Nordic region has strong foundations for AI success. Digital maturity is high, trust in technology is strong and companies are willing to invest.

The challenge now is execution.

Organizations that succeed in translating AI investment into real business value tend to share several characteristics:

• Firstly, strategy comes before tools. AI initiatives are anchored in clear business objectives rather than technology experimentation.
• Second, workflows are redesigned from end to end. Companies focus on transforming processes rather than automating individual tasks.
• Thirdly, ownership is clear. Responsibility for outcomes sits with business leaders as well as technology teams, and impact is measured.
• And finally, data and infrastructure are treated as strategic foundations that allow AI solutions to scale.

These principles are straightforward in theory but difficult to implement consistently across large organizations. Doing so requires leadership commitment, discipline and a clear sense of direction.

A Defining Moment for Nordic Companies

AI adoption is no longer the challenge for Nordic companies. Almost everyone has started.

The real question now is how organizations translate that adoption into measurable business impact. The companies that succeed will not simply experiment with AI faster than others. They will integrate it more deeply into how their businesses operate.

The Nordics have the talent, digital infrastructure and ambition needed to lead in AI driven transformation. But the next phase will not be defined by who uses AI. It will be defined by who redesigns their business around it. This means making AI part of strategic priorities, assigning clear business ownership, and redesigning workflows from end to end. Because if you paste AI on top of old habits, you will only get slightly better old habits. Real value appears when companies rethink how work gets done.

Maarten Kanters,
Strategy Director,
Advania Group