As organizations increasingly adopt AI solutions to find more efficiency and productivity, a new report suggests that doing so without fully understanding the business processes they are trying to optimize will result in failure. German process mining pioneer Celonis conducted research in which business leaders said process intelligence is vital for AI success.
In its 2025 Process Optimization Report, nearly 90 percent of decision makers polled in the study said AI needs to be able to act within the context of their business operations to deliver positive results. And nearly 60 percent of respondents said process shortcomings could limit the effectiveness of their AI investments.
“AI agents need to be process aware—just like a GPS needs a map”, said Alex Rinke, co-founder and co-CEO of Celonis. “The survey results clearly demonstrate that business leaders recognize that there’s no effective AI without Process Intelligence.”
Other key findings in the report include:
- 81 percent of companies plan to use AI specifically to improve business processes in the next 12 months.
- 74 percent of respondents say their AI budgets are increasing.
- 64 percent of respondents believe AI will deliver significant ROI.
- 61 percent of businesses report that AI applications like GenAI chatbots and assistants are already being deployed to enhance operational efficiency.