Aletheon Advisory — The Intelligence Brief — Issue 5

Lead Analysis

From Models to Money: Why AI ROI Requires Process Integration

AI spend keeps rising, but many organizations still cannot produce earnings-call-ready ROI. Deloitte has named the paradox directly: rising investment, elusive returns. The result is a familiar pattern — plenty of activity and headlines, but not enough proof that the economics improved.

Most of the time, the model is not the problem. The gap usually sits between "we built it" and "the business actually runs differently." McKinsey's research lands in the same place: companies capture more value when they redesign workflows and put real governance around deployment.

The most commercially viable AI initiative right now is not another pilot. It is AI value realization anchored in process integration. Pick one outcome. Give it one executive owner. Put a dollar sign on it. Wire the workflow into systems of record. For a CRO, that means win rate, sales cycle time, or discount discipline. For a CFO, it means DSO, invoice exceptions, or cost per transaction.

Gartner's updated figures reinforce the urgency: over 50% of GenAI projects were abandoned after proof of concept by end of 2025 — up from the 30% projected in 2024. The root causes remain the same: unclear business value, data issues, rising costs, and weak risk controls.

Sources: Deloitte AI ROI Paradox · McKinsey State of AI · Gartner GenAI POC Report · MarketWatch / BofA Fund Manager Survey

50%+

of GenAI projects abandoned after proof of concept by end of 2025

30%

projected abandonment rate — actual outcomes exceeded the forecast

1

executive owner per outcome — the minimum condition for AI value realization

In This Issue

Adoption

The AI Gap: Hype, Reality, and the Work in Between

The most defensible position sits between "AI is hype" and "AI is destiny." NBER and MIT research show real productivity gains — but only when AI complements people rather than substituting for them, and only when governance is in place.

Strategy

FOMO Is Not a Strategy

A lot of companies are rolling out AI fast, yet ROI stays fuzzy. The pace of adoption is outrunning the ability to redesign work and capture measurable value. When leaders approve AI as "strategic insurance," the operating model rarely changes.

"Until the operating model changes, the ROI story remains incomplete."

Rob Harris — Aletheon Advisory

Framework — The 90-Day AI Value Sprint

1

One OutcomeWin rate. DSO. Cost per transaction. Choose one metric that moves the P&L and own it completely.

2

One Executive OwnerShared accountability produces shared ambiguity. Name the person, define the mandate.

3

Process Wired to Systems of RecordIf the AI output doesn't flow into the CRM, ERP, or operating dashboard, adoption will not stick.

4

Weekly Operating RhythmValue becomes visible only when it is reviewed consistently. The cadence closes the gap between ambition and outcome.

"The real question for 2026 is not whether AI will change work — it is whether leaders will invest in workflow redesign, training, and controls so AI amplifies people instead of defaulting to displacement."

If you're a CRO or CFO — what's the one outcome you'd own for the next 90 days?