Observed Signal · Oct 21, 2026 · Market Signal · Source: Avalara · Impact: 2/5
Avalara 2026 State of Finance report: Finance and Tax Teams Report Widespread AI Adoption, but E-Invoicing Readiness Gap Leaves Many Exposed
Research finds nearly a third of organizations comply with e-invoicing mandates only where legally required, even as agentic AI becomes finance teams' top technology priority
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AI Adoption Gap: Only 6% Deliver Significant EBIT Impact
McKinsey's 'State of AI in 2026' reveals that while nearly 90% of companies use AI in at least one function, only 37% report measurable EBIT impact. Only 6% are 'high performers' attributing at least 5% of EBIT to AI. The article argues that closing this gap depends on fixing data silos, assigning clear accountability, and redesigning workflows, not just adopting better models. DMEXCO 2026 in Cologne, themed 'Scaling Intelligence', echoed these themes. The piece also highlights a shift in digital visibility where AI assistants and social platforms become entry points, requiring products to be machine-understandable.
Enterprises Deploy AI Faster Than Governance, Smarsh Study
Smarsh released the 2026 Enterprise AI Trends Study (conducted by FTI Consulting) finding that 55% of enterprises are actively deploying AI while only 26% say governance is keeping pace. The report highlights limited visibility into unauthorized or "shadow AI" (only 30% report comprehensive detection and management capabilities) and frames communications data as a critical foundation for responsible AI, investigations, and business intelligence. The study identifies five trends — governance lagging adoption, communications data becoming strategic, interconnected systemic risk across AI agents/APIs/third-party apps, a shift toward proactive security and resiliency, and compliance evolving into a strategic function. It also reports enterprise investment priorities: 62% in AI/ML capabilities, 53% in data quality/enrichment, and 51% modernizing archives. Smarsh and FTI executives emphasize that scaling AI safely requires stronger data governance across connected ecosystems.
AI Cost Savings Fall Short for Many Firms
A manager-magazin article (Harvard Business manager) reports on a Bain & Company study showing that many companies' expectations for cost savings from AI have not been met. The survey of 951 global firms found that while 59% targeted cost reductions greater than 10%, only 43% actually reached that threshold, typically achieving 11–20% savings. Data access and integration (41%) are cited as the largest barrier. Bain also reports that only 7% of companies run fully autonomous AI agents in production; more common are models requiring human approval or escalation. The piece warns that the problem is strategic (governance, process redesign, senior management ownership), not purely technological, and notes many companies are increasing AI budgets again despite underwhelming returns.
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