Only 10% of companies have truly mastered the art of scaling GenAI to unlock tangible business value. This blog delves into the BCG report, uncovering what these top performers do differently and how the rest can catch up.

In our work we see businesses at every stage of the GenAI adoption lifecycle - we’ve had our views on what sets the overachievers apart from everyone else but BCG has put data behind our hunches. BCG’s recent report “What GenAI's Top Performers Do Differently” showed that only 10% of companies are effectively scaling GenAI to drive value (more than 15months after the launch of ChatGPT). This begs the question: what sets these top performers apart, and more importantly, how can the remaining 90% avoid being outcompeted.

This blog aims to unpack the strategies and practices that distinguish the elite 10%, offering actionable insights for companies stuck in pilot purgatories or those yet to embark on their GenAI journey. We will explore real life examples that TitanML has worked with to discuss what helped them accelerate into the elite 10%.

Breaking Down the GenAI Adoption Spectrum

BCG identifies 3 distinct groups of companies based on their level of GenAI adoption so far.

1. Scaling - 10% this group of companies are scaling one of more GenAI application.
2. Piloting - 50% this group has worked with GenAI, but none of these have been scaled in production
3. No action - 40% this group has not taken any significant action on GenAI. Typically they are still working on earlier digital / AI initiatives and may lack the foundational capabilities to succeed.

Essential Skills for Companies to Expand GenAI Deployment

BCG’s research showed 5 key areas where the elite performers outperform the rest of the 90%.

The Elite 10%: What Sets Them Apart

BCG's research highlights that success in GenAI doesn't come by chance. The top performers share common traits that are instrumental in their achievements:

• A Clear Link to Business Performance: These companies don't just experiment with GenAI for the sake of innovation. They strategically align their GenAI initiatives with core business objectives, ensuring that every project has a clear path to enhancing business performance.
• Modern Technology Infrastructure: Top performers invest in the latest technology infrastructures that are flexible, scalable, and capable of supporting advanced AI applications. This foundation is crucial for rapid development and deployment of GenAI solutions.
• Strong Data Capabilities: Data is the lifeblood of AI. The leaders in GenAI adoption have robust mechanisms for data collection, processing, and analysis, ensuring high-quality datasets that feed into their AI models.
• Leadership Support: These companies have strong buy-in from the top. Leadership not only supports GenAI initiatives financially but also fosters a culture of innovation and agility that is necessary for AI to flourish.
• Guidelines and Processes for Responsible AI: Recognizing the ethical implications of AI, top performers implement comprehensive guidelines and processes to ensure their GenAI applications are developed and deployed responsibly.

Overcoming Stagnation: A Roadmap for the Rest

For the 40% Who Have Taken No Action

Recommended action:

• Turn leaders into informed advocates
• Start with a small number of priority applications\
• Leverage outside partners early on
• Tailor governance to the needs of GenAI projects

Our experience:

TitanML was chosen by Ruffalo Noel Levitz’s first strategic AI hires to kick off RNL’s first AI projects. TitanML’s expert engineers worked with the internal teams, leveraging the turnkey Titan Takeoff RAG engine to be able to produce an enterprise-grade and secure AI-powered knowledge retriever applications within a matter of weeks. This first project showed immediate value to senior stakeholders.

In this instance:

• RNL had informed advocates in the position to speak knowledgable
• RNL started with one high priority use case
• RNL worked with TitanML’s expert engineers
• Titan Takeoff RAG Engine worked as a turn key solution which could show tailored value within weeks.

For the 50% Stuck in Pilot Limbo

Recommended action:

• Reprioritise applications
• Re-evaluate technology and data requirements
• Improve the people strategy to accelerate adoption

Our experience:

TitanML experience: TitanML worked with a leading US healthcare firm, who had a number of Generative AI projects in development. By utilising the Titan Takeoff Inference Server, the development team reported their expected time to production going from 6 months to only 2 months - saving 4 months of developer time by allowing them to take robust infrastructure for granted.

In this instance:

• Titan Takeoff Inference Server accelerated development significantly
• By taking care of the infrastructure, the internal development team could focus on providing business value

“By acquiring this pre-built solution by TitanML, you save valuable time and resources that would otherwise be spent on developing and maintaining an in-house infrastructure. Make a smart investment in your business's future by acquiring a powerful inference server that aligns with your goals for efficiency and success.” - Director of Data Science @ Healthcare Company

Conclusion: Your Path to GenAI Mastery

Generative AI and AI technologies will be transformative for every single industry. It is important to continue moving forward to avoid being outcompeted. By embracing the traits of top performers—clear business alignment, modern infrastructure, data prowess, leadership support, and ethical considerations—companies can significantly enhance their chances of success.

It's time to take action, learn from the top performers, and move forward with your GenAI journey with confidence.

Reach out to hello@titanml.co if you would like to learn more and find out if TitanML can help you accelerate your AI transformation journey.