Maximizing Business Potential

With Generative AI: The Path

To Transformation

A FORRESTER CONSULTING THOUGHT LEADERSHIP PAPER COMMISSIONED BY GRAMMARLY, JULY 2023

Table Of Contents
3 Executive Summary

4 Key Findings

5 Work Will Never Be The Same

8 This Is Mass Adoption

11 Harness GenAI To Transform Your Business

15 An Enterprisewide GenAI Strategy Is Critical To Success

19 Key Recommendations

21 Appendix

Project Team:
Lane Abernathy,
Market Impact Consultant

Alex Martini,
Associate Market Impact Consultant

Contributing Research:
Forrester’s Market Insights: Technology
research group

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MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 2

Executive Summary
Generative artificial intelligence (genAI) is transforming business. This is
not another tech hype cycle as we saw with cryptocurrencies — the rapid
adoption of genAI is already delivering profound benefits. (This study
focuses on genAI’s transformative impact on written communication in the
workplace rather than on images, sound, or video use cases of genAI.)

Effective internal and external communication is fundamental to business

success, underpinning nearly every aspect of how a business operates.
And when genAI is done well, it improves and accelerates communication,
leading to increased productivity, improved collaboration, and more
innovation. These and other benefits manifest as increased revenue,
improved customer experience, and reduced operational costs.

Grammarly commissioned Forrester Consulting to evaluate the state of

generative AI. In May of 2023, Forrester conducted an online survey with
301 respondents at the director level or above in customer support, IT, HR,
marketing, and sales roles who influence or direct strategic decisions about
the technologies their teams use.

Forrester found that genAI is being adopted at remarkably high rates among
individuals and companies as users realize its transformational benefits.
While companies are feeling pressure to adopt genAI to avoid falling
behind, a short-sighted rush to implement creates the risk of organizations
being stuck with technical debt. Thinking at an enterprise level with an
enterprisewide strategy will be the key to long-term success and maximizing
the impact of genAI.

GenAI is truly transforming business. We are living through a historical

technological shift and beginning an era when success is defined by how
well a company uses genAI.

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 3

Key Findings

GenAI is transforming every workflow, and how we communicate

will be most impacted. Communication supports every workflow
across an organization. The higher the quality of communication,
the better the business runs. Not only do leaders expect genAI
to transform the way work gets done, but companies that have
adopted it are also experiencing transformational benefits across
the organization.

Businesses are moving fast, but people are moving faster.

Employees are adopting genAI with or without their companies:
80% of respondents who are using genAI for all of their writing are
at companies that have not implemented genAI. Businesses must
adopt policies and quickly develop strategies to avoid ungoverned
use of genAI.

Security is a top hurdle to adoption, but companies don’t know

how to vet providers. Nearly two-thirds of respondents report that
their companies don’t know how to evaluate the security of genAI
partners, but data security is their top concern. Businesses must
adapt existing frameworks and adopt new protocols for security
and trust to keep up with genAI.

Enterprisewide genAI strategy is critical to success. It may feel

like a race to adopt genAI, and in some ways, it is. But rushing to
adopt and settling for a disjointed implementation will result in
technical debt and increase risk to security and brand reputation.
Take the time to thoughtfully create and execute an enterprisewide
strategy to maximize benefits and minimize risks.

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 4

Work Will Never Be The Same

GenAI is transforming global markets and enterprises of all sizes.1 As

business leaders focus on driving profit by accelerating innovation, growing
revenue, and increasing operational efficiency, it’s no surprise that adopting
genAI is a priority for 89% of respondents’ companies.

In surveying 301 technology decision-makers based in North America and

the UK, we found that:

• By 2025, nearly all enterprises will be using genAI for communication

support, including writing and editing. Though only 26% of
respondents’ companies had implemented genAI at the time of the
survey, another 71% reported that their companies are in the process of
implementing or planning to implement within 24 months (see Figure 1).

Figure 1
“Which option best describes your organization’s investment in generative
AI to assist with writing and editing content or communications?”

49%

23% 19%
3% 7%
Interested but not Planning to implement Implementing now Implemented already Expanding
planning to implement in the next 24 months but not expanding/ or upgrading
(e.g., experimenting, upgrading implementation
prototyping, preparing)

Base: 301 technology purchasing decision-makers at the director level or higher in customer support, IT, HR, marketing, or sales roles
who influence or direct strategic decisions about the technologies their teams use in their respective roles
Note: Showing five responses; percentages may not total 100 because of rounding.
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Grammarly, July 2023

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 5

• Many companies are rushing to adopt genAI to create business value.
Forty-three percent of respondents’ companies are adopting genAI at a
faster pace than new technology implementations in the past, and only 6%
are slowing down. Business leaders clearly recognize the huge opportunity
genAI offers and are acting accordingly. But this is not like previous tech
hype cycles. (We’re looking at you, crypto.) The acceleration is driven
primarily by genAI’s ability to create transformational business value. Nearly
three-fourths of respondents at companies that have implemented genAI
say they’re accelerating adoption to solve specific business problems
rather than to simply appear innovative. In other words, the technology has
matured, and leaders recognize the impact it can have.

• Leaders expect genAI to quickly make a difference at the enterprise

level. The timeline for genAI is compressed in multiple ways. When asked
if they expect genAI to transform their company, and if so, how long it will
take, 62% of respondents expect it to happen within the next 12 months and
87% within two years. That leaves little room for error as more competitors
deploy genAI.

• Businesses are turning to genAI to increase revenue. Companies

are investing in genAI for many important reasons. But the three most
commonly reported investment drivers nearly tell the entire story of
how respondents see genAI impacting their organizations: revenue
growth, improved communication, and accelerated workflows. GenAI
drives revenue growth by improving communication and accelerating
workflows. And enterprises are already seeing the results. Of respondents
at companies that have already implemented genAI, 74% report a
transformational or large benefit to their ability to increase revenue.

• GenAI solutions must work across the entire company. The Forrester
report Generative AI Prompts Productivity, Imagination, And Innovation
In The Enterprise finds that because enterprises can use generative AI
to augment and enhance their existing business processes in ways that
were previously impossible, ignoring or downplaying the impact of these
technologies will be a costly mistake.2 This is emphasized by the majority
of departments reporting that genAI is a critical priority. Because different
teams have different needs and must be able to collaborate with these
tools, solutions must be designed to work beyond silos (see Figure 2).

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 6

Figure 2
“To the best of your knowledge, how much of a priority is genAI for your
specific department?”
(Showing “Critical priority” responses)
Customer support

67%

Human resource/training

57%

Marketing/advertising

53%

Sales

50%

IT

35%

Base: 301 technology purchasing decision-makers at the director level or higher in customer support, IT, HR, marketing, or sales roles
who influence or direct strategic decisions about the technologies their teams use in their respective roles
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Grammarly, July 2023

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 7

This Is Mass Adoption

62%
GenAI will happen with or without you. We know this
because 70% of respondents now use genAI for most
or all of their writing and editing, and 39% use it for all expect that genAI
(see Figure 3). These staggering numbers speak to the
will transform
speed that individuals are adopting genAI on their own.
In fact, of respondents using genAI for all their writing/
workflows across
editing, 80% are at companies that have not the entire company
yet implemented genAI. within 12 months.
Patchwork implementations may offer easier, quicker
options. But the longer companies go without a cohesive
enterprisewide implementation, the more genAI will get embedded in
disjointed and ungoverned ways. “Enterprisewide” means deployed
and governed through a coordinated effort across the entire organization.

Figure 3
“How much (if at all) do you, your team, and your department use genAI today?”
For all writing and editing For most but not all writing and editing For some writing and editing

Occasionally, but not regularly Never

You

39% 31% 21% 7% 2%

Your department

36% 37% 19% 7% 1%

Your team

40% 34% 18% 7% 2%

Base: 301 technology purchasing decision-makers at the director level or higher in customer support, IT, HR, marketing, or sales roles
who influence or direct strategic decisions about the technologies their teams use in their respective roles
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Grammarly, July 2023

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 8

To then coordinate the true enterprise solutions that will define the
most successful organizations, companies will be forced to slow down
and repay the technical debt of quick implementations, losing precious
time and resources.

Further, myriad problems can arise when organizations employ poor practices
or subpar solutions. The model’s output may not reflect the voice of the brand,
damaging its reputation. Employees may inadvertently leak valuable or confidential
information, exposing the company to data breaches. And all the while,
competitors will be pushing forward. Get as far ahead as you can and establish
a companywide strategy right now (yes, today), or your business will suffer.

In this fast-evolving environment, leaders must embrace the following realities:

• Companies must act now to implement AI effectively. The two most

commonly identified ways companies must change their approach to genAI are
to improve internal policies (43%) and learn more about genAI (41%). Together,
these shortcomings compound the risk of adverse side effects and must be
addressed quickly. Though genAI has existed for years, many business leaders
are still learning about it. The excitement is warranted, but companies need to
ask the right questions or risk genAI happening to them rather than harnessing
it to its full effect as competitors are likely to do.

• Falling behind is the biggest risk. With so much benefit to be gained and
the rush to adopt, it’s no wonder the number one cited concern among
respondents is falling behind competitors. But to remain competitive, simply
implementing genAI is not enough. It must be done effectively, meaning
that while doing it soon enough is important, doing it at the enterprise level
and with the right vendor is also critical. With genAI, doing it right is just as
important as doing it right now. Specifically, without the right partner, firms
can find themselves moving very quickly — but in the wrong direction. In this
case, they’ll eventually be forced to unwind a Gordian knot of technical debt
(the second most feared consequence of ineffective implementation) left by
uncoordinated, departmental adoption.

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 9

 • Picking the right vendor is a critical decision. Few organizations will
build their own base large language model (LLM).3 Therefore, choosing
the right vendor is critical for organizations. With such an important
implementation that has many moving parts, companies have little room
for unforced error.

• Data security is the top challenge to adoption. Across the board, when
asked about both organizational and technical challenges, respondents
told us that data security is the most prevalent hurdle preventing
adoption. But nearly two-thirds said their companies are ill-equipped to
vet a genAI provider’s security capabilities. To overcome this challenge,
companies must find genAI partners that can clearly demonstrate
their success and commitment to security. Prioritizing security takes
many forms, including having the proper controls and monitoring for
unauthorized user queries.

64%
report their companies do not
know how to evaluate the security
of potential genAI partners.

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 10

Harness GenAI To Transform Your Business

Companies operate only as well as they communicate. And genAI in

communication is transforming how work gets done. Leaders who
purposefully harness genAI will gain a transformative advantage over those
who do not — or who do not do it right.

Whether writing an email, creating internal documents, or drafting client-

facing content, the quality of communication directly impacts the business
results. And with genAI able to transform every phase of the writing lifecycle
(ideation, creation, revision, comprehension), there will be a race to the top
as the quality of communication surges (see Figure 4).

Figure 4
“How much do you think genAI can benefit your company during
the following phases of the creative process?”
Transformational benefit Large benefit

Ideation (e.g., brainstorming, outlining, and identifying/gathering information)

59%
38%
97%

Creation (e.g., writing an email or a blog post)

52%
38%
91%

Editing/revision (e.g., fixing errors, changing tone, changing length,

improving clarity, tailoring to a specific audience)
50%
41%
91%

Comprehension (i.e., how well collaborators understand what you

mean before they proofread and start the revision cycle over again)
55%
37%
91%
Base: 117 technology purchasing decision-makers at the director level or higher in customer support, IT, HR, marketing, or sales roles
who influence or direct strategic decisions about the technologies their teams use in their respective roles and use genAI for all writing
and editing
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Grammarly, July 2023

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 11

That means competition in the market will advance quickly as companies
deploy genAI solutions. Investing in the right solution will be important.
Moreover, business leaders who invest in a companywide genAI platform
through a unified, enterprise strategy with the right controls in place from
the beginning will quickly achieve transformational benefits. Importantly, it
will occur in ways that companies mired in technical debt from a disjointed
adoption cannot achieve.

• GenAI is transforming the way work gets done. Reflecting on

their own experiences, respondents who use genAI for all their
written communication at work told us they expect genAI to lead to
transformational benefits at their companies. These great expectations
are informed by firsthand knowledge of how genAI has transformed
their own work.

• More efficient workflows improve productivity

and save time. When entire workflows dependent GenAI saves 2.5 hours
on written communication are impacted by genAI,
every 8-hour day when
productivity increases because communications
used most of the time.
are done with higher quality in less time. Of the
respondents whose companies have implemented
genAI solutions, the most commonly reported
benefits are higher-quality internal communications, more effective
marketing content, more personalized customer communications, and
accelerated day-to-day communications.

To understand how much time genAI can save, we analyzed respondents

who are using genAI for all or most writing and who report saving time.
On average, they report a daily time savings of 33% (see Figure 5). For
an 8-hour workday, that’s more than 2.5 hours a day and 13 hours a week
now available for even more valuable work.

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 12

 Figure 5
Average Time Saved Per Week From Using GenAI

25% 30% 22%

15%
2% 7%
1% to 10% 11% to 20% 21% to 30% 31% to 40% 41% to 50% More than 50%

Base: 117 technology purchasing decision-makers at the director level or higher in customer support, IT, HR, marketing, or sales roles
who influence or direct strategic decisions about the technologies their teams use in their respective roles and use genAI for all writing
and editing
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Grammarly, July 2023

• Improved employee experience is an unexpected benefit of genAI.

Companies that have implemented genAI are realizing important
benefits. Although only 39% of respondents cited improving employee
experience (EX) as an investment driver for genAI, 79% of respondents
at companies that have implemented it have seen a transformational or
large impact on improving EX (see Figure 6).

• GenAI drives organization-wide benefits. And more than three-quarters

report improved CX. GenAI is also creating massive improvements to
privacy compliance (77%), reducing operational costs (75%), increasing
revenue (74%), and improving data security (73%).

74%
of respondents at companies that have
deployed genAI report a transformational
or large benefit to revenue.

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 13

Figure 6
“How much of a benefit has genAI already had on your company’s
ability to meet its key goals?”
Transformational benefit Large benefit

Improve employee experience/company culture

32%
47%
79%

Increase personal data privacy compliance (e.g., GDPR)

38%
39%
77%

Improve customer experience/satisfaction

38%
39%
77%

Reduce operational costs (e.g., more efficient operations,

increased automation, reduced hiring needs)
38%
38%
75%

Increase revenue
40%
34%
74%

Increase market share

36%
38%
74%

Improve ability to innovate/adapt (e.g., faster time to innovation,

more effective innovation)
38%
36%
74%

Improve enterprise data security

35%
38%
73%

Base: 77 technology purchasing decision-makers at the director level or higher in customer support, IT, HR, marketing, or sales roles
who influence or direct strategic decisions about the technologies their teams use in their respective roles at companies that have
implemented genAI
Note: Total percentages may not equal separate values due to rounding.
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Grammarly, July 2023

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 14

An Enterprisewide GenAI Strategy Is Critical To Success

Every business should realize the transformational benefits of genAI. If for

no other reason than every single part of the enterprise can reap benefits
from this technology, executives should prioritize creating and executing a
cohesive enterprisewide genAI strategy.4 Even if at the beginning it is only
a collection of policies, procedures, and guidance, having a unified path
forward from the beginning is necessary to achieve what every business
should be after: a trusted, companywide genAI solution that understands the
unique context of their business without getting bogged down in technical
debt. Only then can genAI deliver the full benefits it offers. To achieve this,
genAI solutions must be:

• Deployable across use cases and work across functions and

applications. Nine out of 10 respondents report that their companies
need a genAI solution that can be used across their organization, not
limited to a few departments or functions. It must be as valuable to
customer success teams as it is to HR. If a solution can’t support cross-
functional collaboration and doesn’t work where employees work, it’s
an incomplete solution. This means that for many use cases, genAI will
be more beneficial as an embedded functionality than as
a standalone app.5 Implementing a single solution will also
avoid the challenges of managing multiple solutions. For
GenAI must
these reasons, we recommend finding a partner that can
provide this integrated deployment.
understand the
context of many
• Able to understand company context and deliver in
different scenarios
different scenarios. Enterprisewide genAI adoption
done well means that one solution is not only able to and reflect the
support multiple use cases but can also understand the company’s voice.
organization and help produce content that best represents
the company. Understanding the context is twofold: It must
understand the business context (e.g., the industry), but it must also
recognize the specific context of the communication (e.g., an email to
a client vs. an internal presentation). Further, a genAI solution must not
only be able to tailor the output to reflect the company’s voice across
functions but also produce content with information that is accurate to

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 15

 the business, its products, and its services. Getting the business
context and tone right but not the facts is not acceptable and is
a huge liability. This is why 89% of respondents said that a genAI
solution must understand the context of many different scenarios.

• Easily scalable for the enterprise. Companies with enterprisewide

genAI strategies are 2.6 times more likely to be expanding or
upgrading their implementation than those working at line-of-
business or departmental levels (see Figure 7). Considering that 72%
report that different departments in their company are leveraging
genAI on their own without an organizationwide strategy, it’s clear
that many companies are exposing themselves to significant risk of
falling behind competitors.

Figure 7
“Which option best describes your organization’s current approach to using
genAI to assist with writing and editing content or communications?”
Planning to implement in the next 24 months Implementing now Expanding or upgrading implementation

73%

42% 40% 40%

35%

25% 25%
16%

2%

Point solutions for individual use cases Line-of-business/ Enterprisewide strategy

department-level strategies

Base: 301 technology purchasing decision-makers at the director level or higher in customer support, IT, HR, marketing, or sales roles
who influence or direct strategic decisions about the technologies their teams use in their respective roles
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Grammarly, July 2023

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 16

 Further comparison between enterprise and departmental strategies
uncovers important correlations. Companies with enterprisewide
strategies are 1.4 times more likely to be adopting genAI at an
accelerated rate compared to firms with departmental implementations.
Further, respondents with enterprise strategies are 1.5 times more likely
to say they are deploying more rapidly than competitors. However, they
are 3.2 times more likely to think their organization needs to increase its
pace of adoption to remain competitive. So not only are companies with
enterprisewide genAI strategies moving more quickly, but they’re also
more likely to accelerate over time.

With individual and departmental adoption so prevalent, the longer

companies allow piecemeal implementation, the closer they’ll come to
“strategy by accident.” In this scenario, a collection of disjointed tactical
decisions must retroactively be tied together. The more embedded in
workflows disjointed adoption becomes, the harder it will be to develop
governing frameworks, which are crucial to successful deployment. Do not
let your strategy be dictated to you by a lack of enterprise strategy.

ENTERPRISE DATA SECURITY IS THE TOP INVESTMENT

CONSIDERATION

Even with the myriad transformational benefits genAI offers and the
different challenges companies face, the most critical investment criterion
when selecting a genAI partner is enterprise data security, with 86% of
respondents saying it’s critical or important (see Figure 8). With all variables
rated as important as they are, sorting by only their critical values provides a
better understanding of their relative significance. Without a secure solution,
all the other benefits can be undone. But recall that nearly two-thirds of
respondents’ companies are unsure how to evaluate the security of genAI
providers.

The emphasis on quality and accuracy of the model’s output as well as

an ability to reflect company tone further underscore the importance of a
companywide implementation.

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 17

Figure 8
“When investing in a genAI partner, how important are the following considerations?”
Critical Important

Enterprise data security

44% 42%

Trust in the model’s output (e.g., quality and accuracy)

42% 40%

Ability to adapt style and tone to reflect company voice

40% 43%

Regulatory compliance (e.g., GDPR)

40% 41%

Demonstrated business impact (i.e., ROI)

38% 43%

Ability to create contextually relevant content (i.e., context of specific situations, context of business)

35% 45%

Demonstrated ability to save significant amounts of time

35% 46%

Ability to deploy companywide (i.e., across the entire company and in all writing scenarios)

30% 53%

Faster implementation (i.e., how long until operational at the enterprise level)

30% 51%

Base: 301 technology purchasing decision-makers at the director level or higher in customer support, IT, HR, marketing, or sales roles
who influence or direct strategic decisions about the technologies their teams use in their respective roles
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Grammarly, July 2023

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 18

 Key Recommendations
Generative AI is not the future — it is the now. Whether or not your company
adopts it well, your competitors will. Forrester’s in-depth survey about genAI
yielded several important recommendations:

Develop and deploy an enterprisewide strategy.

Even if it’s just policies, procedures, and guidance, beginning the journey with
a long-term, enterprisewide genAI strategy is critical. While the rush to adopt
may feel overwhelming, take the time to build an effective long-term plan.
It will ultimately allow faster adoption at the enterprise level, where it really
counts. Not only will it save you from spending untold resources rationalizing
technical debt down the road, but it will also serve as a critical framework to
help choose the right provider.

Make sure you select the right vendor.

Most companies will not (and should not) try to build models themselves.
With such widespread adoption and so much to lose, choosing the wrong
partner will be a costly mistake. The right solution should work across use
cases and across applications. It should also create content that is accurate,
specific to your business, and expresses your brand’s voice. In other words,
generic output is not acceptable. By working with the right partners, you
will win the quality race, improve productivity, and deliver the most effective
messages to your employees and customers with genAI. To do this, leaders
must understand their own internal use cases across the organization and
engage other stakeholders to find a solution that meets the needs of a proper
enterprisewide strategy.

Don’t let subpar privacy and data security threaten your company.

Considering how critical security and privacy are to genAI deployment and
success (both as a blocker to adoption and the foremost risk of using genAI),
choosing a genAI partner with the right data security practices is critical. But
most companies don’t know how to vet the security capabilities and practices
of a potential partner. Leaders must ask hard questions of genAI providers

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 19

 and work diligently to ensure they meet strict enterprise security and privacy
requirements. Further, deploying genAI also presents an opportunity to
uplevel your internal security posture while the hood is up, so to speak. You
can do this both through adopting new security technologies alongside genAI
as well as implementing best practices, stringent safeguards, and strong
policies around genAI tools and usage. When you’ve found the right partner,
use it as a resource to learn more about how to deploy and sustain genAI with
adequate security and privacy.

Build genAI literacy across the enterprise.

Deploying genAI across the enterprise is not a singular effort that ends when
employees start using it. Adopting any new technology takes effort and
training. If you don’t empower your employees with the right knowledge, it’s
like buying a race car and not filling the fuel tank. Create and support a culture
of continuous improvement that will sustain the growth and benefits genAI
offers to those who choose to adopt it effectively. Find partners who will work
with you to refine and tune models over time. It’s an ongoing process that
can’t be ignored.

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 20

Appendix

Appendix A: Methodology
In this study, Forrester conducted an online survey of 301 respondents across multiple different industries,
excluding government, education, and nonprofits. These director-level-and-above technology-purchasing
decision-makers at organizations in North America and the UK were asked to evaluate how enterprises
capitalize on the opportunity to leverage generative AI. Survey participants included decision-makers in
customer support, IT, HR, marketing, and sales roles. Questions provided to the participants asked about
their current use of genAI, the challenges they face, and future plans within their organization. Respondents
were offered a small incentive as a thank-you for time spent on the survey. The study began in March 2023
and was completed in July 2023.

Appendix B: Demographics

COMPANY REVENUE COUNTRY

>$5B 3% United States 67%

$1B to $5B 22% United Kingdom 17%

$500M to $1B 22% Canada 17%

$400M to $499M 16%

$300M to $399M 17%

RESPONDENT LEVEL
$200M to $299M 15%
C-level executive 27%
$100M to $199M 6% Vice president 28%

Director 45%

INDUSTRY (TOP 9)
Technology and/or LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY
16%
technology services
I am the final decision-maker for
Retail 13% my organization’s technology 75%
Manufacturing and materials 11% purchasing strategy.
I am part of a team making
Financial services and/or insurance 8%
decisions for my organization’s 21%
Construction 6% technology purchasing strategy.

Business or professional services 6% I influence decisions related to

my organization’s technology 3%
Advertising and/or marketing 5% purchasing strategy.
Media and/or leisure 5%

Consumer product goods

5%
and/or manufacturing

(Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.)

MAXIMIZING BUSINESS POTENTIAL WITH GENERATIVE AI: THE PATH TO TRANSFORMATION 21

Appendix

Appendix C: Supplemental Material

RELATED FORRESTER RESEARCH
“Generative AI: The Top Six Things Tech Executives Need To Know,” Forrester Research, Inc., April 17, 2023
“Generative AI Prompts Productivity, Imagination, And Innovation In The Enterprise,” Forrester Research,
Inc., February 10, 2022.
“Predictions 2023: Artificial Intelligence,” Forrester Research, Inc., October 27, 2022.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Rowan Curran et al., “Beware Of ‘Coherent Nonsense’ When Implementing Generative AI,” Forrester Blogs,
December 8, 2022

Appendix D: Endnotes
1
Source: “Predictions 2023: Artificial Intelligence,” Forrester Research, Inc., October 27, 2022.
2
Source: “Generative AI Prompts Productivity, Imagination, And Innovation In The Enterprise,” Forrester
Research, Inc., February 10, 2022.
3
Source: “Generative AI: The Top Six Things Tech Executives Need To Know,” Forrester Research, Inc., April
17, 2023.
4
Source: Rowan Curran et al., “Beware Of ‘Coherent Nonsense’ When Implementing Generative AI,”
Forrester Blogs, December 8, 2022.
5
Source: “Generative AI Prompts Productivity, Imagination, And Innovation In The Enterprise,” Forrester
Research, Inc., February 10, 2022.

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