How digital and data leaders are redefining operations: PwC

Key takeaways:

Build for scale early. Leaders prioritize solutions that can become repeatable enterprise capabilities.
Focus on better data, not perfect data. AI and continuous improvement help make data more reliable over time.
Connect operations end to end. Leaders integrate digital capabilities across teams, suppliers, and customers.
Measure what matters. Stronger measurement links technology investments to operational and financial value.
Treat transformation as a discipline. The 4% connect strategy, data, AI, workflows, and measurement into one agenda.

All of these businesses are spending big on operations technology, but how many are actually getting their money’s worth? In our 2026 Digital Trends in Operations Survey, only 11% of US operations and supply chain leaders said their company’s investments in operations technology have fully delivered the expected results. And only 4% reported success in three critical areas: embedding AI across the enterprise, avoiding barriers to adopting or scaling autonomous agents, and employing a collaborative and horizontal operating structure, with teams connected across units.

Your next question is obvious: What are they doing right? It’s not just a matter of having more technology. Again, almost everyone is buying. The difference is how an organization uses its tech investments to turn digital ambition into measurable operational advantage.

Based on the survey findings and our experience, the operations and supply chain leaders who are driving real digital innovation consistently connect strategy, data, AI, and measurement into a single transformation agenda. Here’s how they do it.

They build for scale from the start

While many organizations struggle to move beyond AI and other tech pilots, the 4% are making the ability to scale solutions a priority. When evaluating ROI from digital investments, nearly half said scalability is an outcome that matters the most, compared to less than one-third of other survey respondents.

This attitude and approach suggest leaders don’t evaluate technology solely on short-term returns but rather ask if a capability can become a repeatable asset elsewhere in the organization. That can lead to more integration with other digital solutions across the value chain, more reusable platforms, and a stronger foundation for enterprise-wide transformation.

Turn insight into action: Evaluate whether your new and existing digital capabilities can be reused across businesses, divisions, and product lines and build ROI cases that account for wider adoption. This might include having your teams show how solutions can be integrated across the organization before funding, as well as strengthening internal capabilities where they create repeatable advantages—helping turn successful pilots into connected platforms that accelerate transformation.

They don’t let data issues bog things down

Data is part of almost any AI discussion, and our survey found that many operations and supply chain leaders still struggle to marry the two to produce meaningful outcomes. But as long as it improves, data doesn’t have to be perfect to be beneficial. In fact, among the 4%, more than half said poor data quality has had no impact on their ability to achieve value for digital initiatives.

These companies actively use AI for data quality and management, and nearly two-thirds report significant improvements in data quality and reliability over the past several years. Better data enables smarter decisions, more trusted AI, and more effective measurement. But instead of treating data improvement as a separate initiative, the 4% incorporate it into their transformation agenda as something to continuously improve.

Turn insight into action: Shift the conversation from perfect data to better data. Embed data management and improvement into day-to-day operations and digital initiatives, using AI where it makes sense to identify, remediate, and prevent quality issues. By regularly increasing data reliability, you can strengthen trust in AI and see value from digital investments more quickly.

They connect processes from end to end

One of the most dramatic gaps between the 4% and other survey respondents is the rollout of digital capabilities, such as AI agents, data ecosystems, and intelligent automation. While only about one-third of other respondents said their companies have integrated digital capabilities across internal teams, suppliers, and customers, 87% of the leaders reported end-to-end integration.

This high response suggests a fundamental difference in mindset. Instead of dedicating technology only to individual functions, digital operations leaders have redesigned workflows that span segments, suppliers, and customers—operating across value streams, not departmental boundaries. Building digital capabilities that enable these new workflows can allow improvements to compound rather than remain trapped within silos.

Turn insight into action: Technical outcomes are standard. Prioritize capabilities that connect internal teams, suppliers, and customers, and measure success by impact across the ecosystem. Use your digital investments to redesign how work flows across functions and business units—connecting people, data, and decisions across the value chain. This integrated approach can reduce friction and unlock more durable gains in efficiency and performance.

They treat measurement as a competitive capability

Activity from tech investments is easy to show. But actual benefits? Um, well …

As many organizations struggle to justify their often substantial spending on new technology, digital operations leaders are twice as likely as others to measure both operational and financial outcomes from digital investments.

Strong measurement helps leaders identify what works, stop what doesn’t, and reinvest in successful initiatives. It also enables AI and digital investments to stay connected to business outcomes versus just being technology exercises. Moving beyond activity metrics can help establish clear links between transformation initiatives, measurable outcomes, and enterprise value.

Turn insight into action: Develop a disciplined approach to measuring value and a balanced set of metrics that link tech initiatives to enterprise value. Evaluate performance against both operational improvements and financial outcomes, using data to assess whether digital investments are improving performance or advancing strategic objectives—or both. Creating a feedback loop can support effective capital allocation and strengthen the case for future transformation investments.

8 ways to emulate the 4%

Break bad habits before they break your transformation. Functional excellence won’t create enterprise advantage if your teams, incentives, and decisions remain siloed.
Revisit where decisions are made. If each major digital initiative requires navigating layers of functional ownership, your governance may be slowing transformation more than technology.
Find the friction before adding tech. Another AI tool is nice, but where can you remove organizational barriers that prevent people, processes, and systems from working together?
Eliminate “pilot culture.” If initiatives always seem to stall after proof of concept, examine the governance, funding, and leadership decisions preventing broader adoption, not just the tech itself.
Benchmark your ambition, not just your performance. Measure yourself against organizations that redefine how operations create value, not just those making incremental improvements.
Reward collaboration along with improvements. Incentives tied to individual functions can undermine enterprise performance, even when every team hits targets.
Incorporate transformation into your operating rhythm. Treat digital change as an ongoing management discipline instead of a series of one-time programs that can stall after implementation.
Ask harder questions about ROI. Delivering on time and on budget is important, but also ask customers, employees, and shareholders if they’re noticing how projects are changing business performance.