The power of AI: a lucrative investment for Dutch companies

In the Dutch business community, we see a remarkable trend: artificial intelligence (AI) appears to be a gold mine. For every euro that companies invest in AI, they receive an average of €4.20 in return. That's a nice return! So it's no surprise that more and more companies don't want to miss the AI train. Where 58.3% of companies used or considered AI last year, that percentage has now risen to almost 80%.

The road to success: patience is a virtue

However, it's not all roses and moonshine. The IDC 2024 report, commissioned by Microsoft, shows that success with AI doesn't come overnight. On average, it takes about eight months to implement AI, and only after more than a year will you see the first financial fruits. But patience pays off, because the reward is well worth the waiting time.

Stumbling blocks on the AI road

Despite the promising picture, many companies face obstacles. The biggest stumbling block? A shortage of AI experts. Around 41% of Dutch organizations are struggling with this. The solution lies in investing in training and collaborations. Fortunately, we are already seeing improvement worldwide: the percentage of companies that experience skills as a bottleneck has fallen from 52% to 45%.

Leaders versus laggards

Those who are at the forefront of the AI peloton will reap the benefits. These “leaders” see their investments recouped four times faster, while those left behind are stuck on doubling or tripling. Moreover, the leaders are much faster in implementing new AI projects. Their secret? A clear strategy and a well-prepared organization. In this way, they show that those who are well prepared can take full advantage of the opportunities that AI offers.