Two in three Australian and NZ firms haven't worked out what their AI returns, which is a bit like buying a ute without checking the fuel bill
By Brett Gavaghan, Founder of Adaptd ·
Avanade's new research says most large organisations in Australia and New Zealand are spending on AI without a formal measure of what it gives back.
The short version
- Avanade surveyed large organisations and found 66% in Australia and New Zealand haven't formally calculated AI's financial return.
- Only 43% use return on investment or business value targets, and 68% say AI hasn't yet justified its cost.
- Before your next AI purchase, write down the number it should change and check it after three months.
Big companies are buying AI with a lot of confidence and not much receipt-checking. It's a familiar habit to anyone who has found three unused software subscriptions on the business card.
What did the Avanade study find?
Avanade's research found that 66% of organisations in Australia and New Zealand haven't formally calculated the financial return from AI and had it checked by finance or senior leaders. Only 43% use return on investment or business value targets to judge their AI progress, as reported by IT Brief on 4 November 2026.
The ambition is there all the same. 88% said they need to speed up AI change urgently, while 68% said AI hasn't yet delivered financial returns that justify the spend.
Who was surveyed?
Avanade surveyed 3,600 business decision-makers across 11 countries, all at companies with more than US$500 million in yearly revenue. In Australia and New Zealand, 84% said they hadn't fundamentally changed how they work around AI, and only 23% saw a big jump in staff productivity.
One more number stood out: 39% in the two countries believe colleagues use AI in ways their compliance team wouldn't approve, against 32% globally. Shadow AI, in other words, has a local accent.
What should your business do about it?
Small businesses don't need a finance team to avoid the same trap. Pick one measure for each AI tool before you pay for it: quotes sent per week, hours spent on invoicing, or how fast customers hear back.
My take: "we're using AI" isn't a result. Check the number again after three months. If it hasn't moved, change how the tool is used or stop paying for it. And ask your team which AI tools they actually use, because the answer may surprise you.
Being too small for a board report is fine. Being too busy to check the receipt isn't.
Sources
Wondering what this means for your business?
That's exactly what the discovery call is for.