Most have started. Few have scaled.
They need stronger data foundations and execution discipline to move from pilots to scale.
More than a third of SMBs are still exploring AI in isolated, unconnected ways.
Only 9% have fully embedded AI into strategy, operations and decision-making.
The AI readiness gap is widening
A small group of SMBs has moved beyond experimentation – aligning AI strategy with business goals, building clean data foundations and embedding it into daily workflows with clear metrics. The rest are still running pilots without a path to scale.
That distance is growing. The longer it takes to act, the harder it becomes to catch up.
Now is the time to close the gap.
Closing the gap
The challenge for SMBs is no longer whether to adopt AI, but how to operationalize it effectively. That requires building the underlying capabilities that make scaling possible: aligned strategy and governance, strong data foundations, expanded skills and business readiness and AI embedded into processes with clear outcome measurement.
The organizations that build these foundations now will be the ones that pull ahead.
What if you knew exactly where to start?
This report shows where SMBs stand today, identifies the capabilities that most reliably predict success and pinpoints where momentum is most often lost. We've also developed the AI Readiness Calculator, a self-assessment tool that gives you and your team a tailored gap analysis and practical next actions based on your organization's size and maturity.
Use it to benchmark your position, anticipate the obstacles ahead and move from experimentation to repeatable impact.