Two-Thirds of Companies Now See Financial Returns From AI in Business Deals
Nearly two-thirds of organizations are achieving positive returns on AI investments within their first year, according to the 2026 State of Strategic Response Management Report. The shift marks a move from pilot projects to measurable business outcomes in how companies handle bids, RFPs, security questionnaires, and other deal-critical exchanges.
The report surveyed more than 1,100 decision-makers and practitioners across industries. It found that 63% of companies reported positive ROI from AI in strategic response management within 12 months - up from fewer than half last year.
But a clear divide is emerging. The top 20% of organizations by maturity - classified as "SRM Leaders" - are translating AI use into revenue gains at significantly higher rates than their peers. These companies report faster sales cycles and stronger growth from strategic responses.
The Maturity Gap Widens
SRM Leaders use AI more broadly across their operations. Eighty-one percent deploy AI for strategic response management, compared with 60% of less mature organizations. Six in 10 leaders say most or all of their AI tools deliver positive ROI.
The difference lies in how they apply the technology. Mature organizations use AI beyond content generation. They deploy it to support go/no-go decisions on deals and to analyze win/loss patterns for strategic insights. Less mature organizations tend to limit AI to drafting responses.
Centralized knowledge management amplifies these gains. SRM Leaders that operate self-service hubs report higher employee satisfaction - 83% compared with 53% at less mature firms. They also see stronger improvements in sales velocity and efficiency.
Accountability Replaces Curiosity
Ganesh Shankar, CEO of Responsive, said the market has shifted from experimentation to results. "Organizations seeing stronger results are using AI not only to draft responses, but also to support decisions around which deals to pursue and why opportunities are won or lost," he said.
Leading organizations combine AI, data, and human expertise into a single operating model. Among SRM Leaders, 43% are investing across technology, people, and training as interconnected drivers of performance rather than separate initiatives.
Buyer expectations are pushing this change. Purchasing teams now expect faster, more personalized, and more accurate responses. Organizations that manage knowledge and AI effectively are better positioned to meet those demands and accelerate revenue outcomes.
For AI for Management and AI for Executives & Strategy, the takeaway is clear: AI's value depends on how deeply it's woven into decision-making, not on how widely it's deployed.
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