AI Training vs. Tools: The Smarter Way to Unlock ROI and Business Impact

Every company wants an AI strategy that promises to do more with less. Yet, most AI initiatives are failing to deliver meaningful returns. Research shows only a fraction of projects achieve ROI, highlighting the urgent need for smarter approaches to AI adoption. The key isn’t buying more tools—it’s investing in training that empowers your people to use AI effectively.

From Overwhelmed Teams to Low ROI: The AI Adoption Gap

According to IBM, only 1 in 4 AI projects achieve their expected ROI. Meanwhile, BCG research shows that 75% of businesses see no tangible value from AI investments.

Why? Too many companies rush to buy the latest tools without preparing their teams to use them effectively. Instead of driving transformation, the result is:

• Stalled AI adoption as employees struggle to integrate tools into daily workflows.

• Overwhelmed teams juggling multiple platforms they don’t fully understand.

• Low ROI and wasted investment as expensive technology delivers little real business impact.

AI success doesn’t come from buying more tools—it comes from training people to unlock their value.

The Real Reason AI Adoption Fails: Lack of Leadership Fluency

An Akkodis survey revealed that only 55% of CTOs believe their executive teams have sufficient AI fluency. Yet these are the very leaders tasked with driving transformation across workflows, business models, and customer experiences.

An Akkodis survey revealed that only 55% of CTOs believe their executive teams have sufficient AI fluency

The result? When AI adoption fails to deliver ROI, the knee-jerk reaction is often to invest in even more technology—piling on platforms, licenses, and dashboards. But this only makes the challenge worse. Teams that once struggled to learn a single tool now find themselves juggling five, leading to frustration, reduced effectiveness, and low morale.

“Even the most advanced AI tool is worthless if your team doesn’t know how to use it.”

The lesson is clear: AI success depends on building fluency and training leaders—not just buying more tools.

Expand Your Training Budget—The Smart Way

AI training must be company-wide and aligned with business goals to deliver real transformation. Yet, in many organizations, training is still funnelled into narrow silos—typically IT, engineering, or data teams. While these groups play an important role, they represent only a fraction of the workforce.

AI training must be company-wide and aligned with business goals to deliver real transformation

The reality is that 90% of employees work in business-critical functions such as operations, sales, finance, marketing, HR, legal, and customer service. These are the people who keep the business running day to day—and who will feel the biggest impact of AI transformation.

When training excludes these teams, companies miss out on the productivity gains, efficiency improvements, and innovation that AI can deliver. But when AI education is extended across the entire workforce, organizations create the foundation for true end-to-end digital transformation.

Why Data Literacy Matters More Than Surface-Level AI Training

Too many companies rely on surface-level AI training that focuses only on prompts, clicks, and navigation. While these skills are useful, they don’t deliver lasting business impact. What employees truly need is data literacy—the ability to interrogate, interpret, and act on data with confidence.

Data literacy does more than teach employees how to use a tool. It:

• Builds capability instead of dependency, empowering teams to solve problems independently.

• Unlocks the full potential of AI outputs, ensuring insights don’t sit idle but are applied to real business challenges.

• Drives smarter decision-making, operational efficiency, and innovation, turning raw data into measurable business outcomes.

The takeaway? Without strong data literacy, AI investments remain underutilized. With it, organizations can maximize ROI and accelerate digital transformation.

AI Training for Managers: Leading by Example

Many organizations still hold the misconception that managers don’t need AI training because they aren’t the ones “using the tools.” The truth is, managers play a critical role in driving AI adoption and digital transformation.

With the right training, leaders can:

• Analyze performance data more effectively to guide smarter decision-making.

• Spot workflow improvements and identify where AI can deliver the most value.

• Provide hands-on guidance to their teams on how to apply AI in everyday tasks.

When managers lack AI knowledge, employees quickly see transformation efforts as superficial or disconnected from reality. To build trust and momentum, leaders must lead by example, demonstrating how AI can be integrated into real-world processes.

The takeaway? AI adoption succeeds only when managers are trained to champion it. Leadership alignment ensures your AI vision translates into measurable results across the business.

Fostering an AI-Driven Culture to Maximize Business Impact

 Evefn the best training fails if employees feel discouraged from using AI. In some companies, workers fear criticism for “cutting corners” or making mistakes. This urther creates resistance and results in the wastage of training budgets. Businesses must foster a culture of experimentation and knowledge sharing, where teams feel safe to test new workflows, exchange prompts, and build collective expertise. 

The Smart Way Forward

Too many companies are chasing the next big AI tool, hoping it will unlock transformation. But here’s the truth: without AI training, even the most advanced platforms won’t deliver results.

The real competitive advantage doesn’t come from more software licenses—it comes from empowering your people to use the technology you already have. When your teams are AI-fluent, the impact is immediate:

• Turn AI vision into measurable results with employees who know how to apply AI to real business challenges.

• Maximize ROI and make AI worth the investment by ensuring adoption across every level of the organization.

• Build long-term business resilience with a workforce that evolves alongside emerging AI technologies.

Stop buying tools your team can’t use. Start building the skills that transform your AI strategy into sustainable business impact.