Complex legacy systems, growing compliance requirements, and an unrelenting drive for faster innovation present large enterprises with a familiar but pressing challenge. Many CIOs and CTOs understand how difficult it is to maintain outdated infrastructure while still meeting the demands of delivering new digital services on a large scale.
Generative AI (GenAI) has emerged as a turning point. It is no longer an experimental tool, but one of the most effective levers enterprises can pull to modernise legacy systems, streamline governance, and create customer experiences competitors can’t easily replicate.
According to recent studies, top AI-using businesses already see ROIs of 15%+ in terms of innovation, customer experience, and productivity. However, the gap is growing, and those who act with vision and purpose set the pace for the future.
Here are five ways GenAI is helping enterprises accelerate their transformation and outpace their competitors.
1. Accelerate Legacy Modernisation at Scale.
Legacy modernisation and legacy application modernisation are key strategies for enterprises burdened by outdated technology stacks and/or systems. Implementing GenAI can accelerate this transformation by automating tasks such as code refactoring, documentation, and testing while facilitating the integration between old and new systems.
Forward-thinking CIOs and tech leaders are already leveraging GenAI to speed up application migration and rethink their design. They are turning inflexible legacy systems into dynamic, AI-driven platforms that adjust according to their business needs, making enterprise application modernisation an IT upgrade and a strategic growth enabler.
Purpose-built AI solutions can be tailored to adapt and address challenges and opportunities within individual industries, ensuring faster modernisation and alignment with business goals and regulations.
2. Enhancing Decision-Making with Better Data Governance.
Data is essential for enterprise competitiveness; however, poor data quality and fragmented systems often undermine strategic efforts. GenAI’s data governance solutions empower businesses to automatically classify, clean, and secure their data.
By integrating AI into governance processes, enterprises can enforce policies at scale, ensure compliance with local regulations, and generate real-time insights from previously underutilised datasets. To accomplish this effectively, enterprises must establish a robust foundation.
They need to establish a secure environment for the company to effectively explore GenAI, ensuring the right guardrails and governance practices are in place to support safe and scalable adoption.
3. Strengthening Risk and Compliance Management.
Enterprises across industries face increasing regulatory scrutiny. Manual compliance reporting is slow and prone to error, creating unnecessary risk. GenAI enables risk and compliance solutions that continuously monitor systems, detect anomalies, and produce real-time, auditable reports.
For risk leaders, this means less time fighting fires and more time developing proactive strategies. GenAI doesn’t just mitigate risk; it builds resilience by ensuring enterprises can adapt quickly to changing regulations without hindering growth.
4. Accelerating Innovation and Time-to-Market.
GenAI is emerging as a key driver of innovation. Enterprises leverage it to generate product ideas, create prototypes, and even simulate market scenarios before launch. This capability to shorten development cycles and reduce rework enables organisations to introduce new offerings faster than competitors stuck in lengthy development pipelines.
A recent Deloitte study found that 43% of CEOs have already implemented GenAI in their organisations to drive innovation and improve their daily work. However, the overall business impact of GenAI is only starting to emerge.
McKinsey estimates that by automating repetitive tasks and streamlining workflows, AI can save 60–70% of employees’ time, allowing businesses to allocate resources more effectively and reduce operational costs.
5. Creating Hyper-Personalised Customer Experiences.
In a time of increasing customer expectations, GenAI enables hyper-personalisation on an enterprise scale. AI-driven platforms can customise real-time interactions, offers, and content, and drive loyalty and trust.
This encompasses not only marketing but also every customer touchpoint, from self-service portals to after-sales support. Enterprises that combine personalisation with robust data governance solutions and automated compliance controls distinguish themselves as innovative and trustworthy.
The benefits of AI adoption extend beyond external factors. Enterprises have reported a 31% improvement in employee satisfaction due to the reduction of tedious, low-value tasks. By allowing employees to concentrate on more meaningful work, companies can enhance customer experiences and promote long-term retention.
Measuring ROI: From Efficiency to Competitive Advantage.
Executives are increasingly asking, “How can we determine if our AI investments are yielding results?”
Enterprises can measure the return on investment (ROI) of Generative AI (GenAI) by tracking several key factors:
- Cost savings from automation and modernisation of legacy systems
- Revenue gains from hyper-personalised customer experiences
- Improvements in productivity across various workflows
- Reduction in risk and adherence to compliance requirements
Supporting this, a Freshworks report indicates that around 65% of workers believe that companies leveraging AI are more likely to lead their industries.
This highlights an important shift in mindset:
Exceptional leaders focus on growth opportunities by redeploying their workforce rather than replacing it, shifting the emphasis from capacity to capability.
Moving from Hype to Execution Starts Here.
Enterprises that embed GenAI into their operations aren’t just keeping pace; they are leading the way. These companies are quicker to reach the market, more resilient in their strategies, and better prepared to handle disruptions.
Are you ready to explore how GenAI can modernise your legacy systems, strengthen governance, and give your enterprise a competitive edge?
Let’s solve it together by setting up a Discovery & Strategy Workshop session to map opportunities, define ROI, and create a GenAI roadmap that works for your business.
