TL;DR: 5 key takeaways for CIOs from our 2026 Process Optimization Report

To modernize, or not to modernize – that’s no longer the question. The question now is: how do I transform my enterprise thoughtfully while disrupting as minimally as possible?

Based on our 2026 Process Optimization Report, here are five need-to-knows for CIOs to help you think, plan, and modernize your enterprise without disrupting your current systems and business operations.

• Download the full 2026 Process Optimization Report. Or get the IT Executive Summary.

1. Modernization success depends on business context, not just raw data

AI needs more than raw data; it needs a deep understanding of how the business runs.

• 89% of leaders state that business context – the rules, KPIs, and enterprise architecture – is crucial for effective AI deployment.
• 82% of leaders believe AI can only deliver meaningful ROI if it understands the nuances of how the business actually runs.
• 45% of businesses are currently struggling to get AI to grasp this context.

2. The alignment gap is a huge modernization roadblock

There’s a disconnect between how IT perceives its performance and how the rest of the business experiences it.

• While only 37% of IT leaders see a lack of alignment with the business as a major hurdle, ⅔ of other departments cite this as their biggest roadblock to Enterprise AI success.
• Over half (54%) of business leaders report that their departments still work in silos, meaning you lack the end-to-end visibility needed for enterprise modernization.

3. Flying blind is (still) an issue

You can’t modernize what you can’t see. And IT leaders agree.

• 66% of IT leaders admit they cannot see how, where, or when technology is actually used across their organization.
• 79% of IT leaders say their current observability and analytics tools fail to provide the real-time process visibility they need to drive transformation.

4. Broken processes = tax on new technology

Layering advanced AI on top of broken processes is a recipe for frustration. Currently, 76% of businesses admit they are just getting by with sub-optimal processes.

• 69% of IT leaders say their AI solutions aren't delivering the expected ROI, often because the underlying processes are too manual or fragmented to scale.
• The number one sign that your processes are failing is “difficulty adopting new technologies,” cited by 20% of leaders – this is a greater concern than rising costs or missed SLAs.

5. Digital twins are IT leaders’ best friends

Operational readiness is the obstacle that stands in the way of AI success in 2026. Hence, CIOs are shifting away from static process mapping and moving toward real-time modeling like digital twins.

• While only 38% of organizations use them today, 50% plan to implement a digital process twin in the coming year.
• 93% of process and operations leaders believe a business-wide digital twin would be a “gamechanger”.

Get the full context

The survey is clear: CIOs and IT leaders know that having clear process visibility – via Process Intelligence (PI) – is the key to enterprise modernization success. PI gives your people a clear view of how the business actually runs.

Further, it uses AI to accelerate modernization, transformation, or migration. Without a digital twin of your business operation, systems often fail to play well together. They become disconnected, providing inadequate capabilities that slow your progress.

• Download the full 2026 Process Optimization Report. Or get the IT Executive Summary.