Companies embedding AI into revenue workflows see measurable gains, study shows
Nearly two-thirds of companies using artificial intelligence for proposal management, security questionnaires and due diligence requests reported positive returns within the first year, according to research from Responsive and the Association of Proposal Management Professionals.
The 2026 State of Strategic Response Management report surveyed more than 1,100 decision-makers and practitioners. The finding marks a significant jump from a year earlier, when fewer than half of respondents reported ROI gains.
The study reveals a gap between companies testing AI and those turning it into revenue. The difference comes down to maturity. Organizations ranking in the top 20% on an SRM Maturity Index - labeled SRM Leaders - reported stronger commercial outcomes than less advanced peers.
Maturity drives results
Among SRM Leaders, 73% reported higher growth from strategic responses, compared with 60% of less mature organizations. These advanced groups also reported faster sales cycles.
The maturity gap extends beyond revenue. Eighty-one percent of SRM Leaders use AI for response management, versus 60% of less mature organizations. Six in 10 leaders reported that most or all of their AI tools delivered positive returns.
More mature organizations were 16% more likely than novices to use AI for go-or-no-go decisions and to analyze win-loss data for patterns. They also moved beyond drafting answers to questionnaires.
Centralized knowledge systems made a measurable difference. Among SRM Leaders, 83% reported higher sales velocity and 88% reported efficiency gains when knowledge was centralized through self-service hubs. Novices saw virtually no uplift.
People matter as much as software
Companies making the strongest gains are not only adding software but changing how teams work with data and knowledge. Eighty-three percent of leaders reported stronger employee satisfaction, compared with 53% of less mature organizations.
Forty-three percent of leaders invested across technology, people and training as connected parts of a single operating model. Organizations treating knowledge management, process design and staff development as separate projects saw weaker results.
What strategic response management covers
Responsive defines the field as handling information exchanges tied to sales, risk and supplier evaluation. That includes RFPs, RFIs, due diligence questionnaires, ESG requests and security reviews.
For suppliers, these exchanges influence whether a sale progresses, how quickly it moves and how much internal effort completion requires. Faster, more accurate responses directly affect conversion rates, sales cycle length and the burden on sales, legal, security and product teams.
Purchasing teams increasingly expect quicker, more tailored and more accurate responses during procurement and vendor assessment. That buyer pressure is forcing suppliers to operate more efficiently.
The shift from experimentation to accountability
Ganesh Shankar, CEO of Responsive, said the companies pulling ahead are embedding AI into decision-making as well as content generation. "The market has shifted from AI curiosity to AI accountability," he said.
Organizations operationalizing AI across the business to shape decisions - which deals to pursue, why they win or lose - are reporting outsized growth and meaningful revenue impact.
The broader finding suggests the question has shifted from whether teams are trying AI to whether they are applying it consistently in day-to-day revenue workflows.
For executives evaluating AI investments, the data points to a simple principle: maturity in how you manage knowledge and integrate AI into processes matters more than the tools themselves. AI for Executives & Strategy resources can help teams build that maturity. Organizations treating AI Agents & Automation as isolated projects rather than integrated systems tend to see weaker results.
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