Lenovo: How Enterprises Can Beat the AI Readiness Gap
Corporate investment in AI technology has spiked to new levels as organisations seek competitive advantage through automation and enhanced productivity.
However, a growing body of research suggests that existing workplace infrastructure may be incompatible with the demands of AI-powered operations.
The disconnect between AI ambitions and workplace reality has become particularly acute as Gen AI tools have moved from experimental technology to business-critical applications.
Addressing this “AI readiness gap”, Lenovo’s latest research demonstrates that current workplace technology systems are preventing organisations from realising the full productivity benefits of AI.
A critical disconnect
Lenovo’s global survey of 600 global IT leaders found that whilst 79% believe AI will enable employees to focus on more impactful work, fewer than half consider their current digital workplace solutions to be adequate.
Reinventing Workplace Productivity is the first report in Lenovo’s Work Reborn Research Series 2025 – which examines how Gen AI presents both opportunities and challenges for workplace transformation.
Only 36% of IT leaders surveyed believe their systems support employee engagement very effectively – and 89% state that organisations must overhaul their digital workplace infrastructure before they can fully unlock AI’s potential.
These figures highlight the stark reality that most companies are running on outdated systems that simply weren’t built for today's AI-powered workplace.
For business leaders, this is both a challenge and an opportunity – as the infrastructure gap means significant investment is needed, but early movers who modernise their digital foundations will gain competitive advantages whilst competitors struggle with legacy limitations.
The findings align with separate research commissioned by Lenovo from the IDC (International Data Corporation), which identified “improving employee productivity” as this year’s top business priority for CIOs.
Nearly half of IT leaders surveyed identify creating a productive and engaging employee experience as their primary objective for the coming year.
Three key areas where AI impacts the workplace
Lenovo’s report outlines three areas where Gen AI can positively impact organisations when fully integrated:
- Enhanced collaboration: AI-powered tools including virtual co-authoring and real-time translation capabilities enable seamless teamwork across different geographical locations and languages.
- Creative empowerment: AI automates repetitive tasks, freeing employees to focus on strategic and innovative work that drives creative problem-solving.
- Productivity improvements: AI-driven insights streamline workflows, improve efficiency and accelerate daily operations.
Yet despite recognition of AI’s potential, the global survey identifies several barriers preventing widespread adoption of AI-driven digital workplaces.
For example, 63% of IT leaders agree that a highly personalised digital workplace is essential – yet many organisations continue to implement one-size-fits-all approaches through non-configurable devices and applications.
Support automation presents another obstacle. Whilst 61% of IT leaders acknowledge the need for AI-driven IT support automation, many organisations struggle to integrate these systems effectively into their existing infrastructure.
Embedding AI throughout core business operations
Rakshit Ghura, Vice President and General Manager of Digital Workplace Solutions at Lenovo, argues that transformation goes beyond simple automation.
He says: “Transforming your workplace is essential to using AI effectively. Simply automating existing workflows will only yield incremental benefits.”
Lenovo puts these beliefs into practice with its Digital Workplace Solutions division that maximises employee productivity, accelerating innovation and simplifying IT operations/
At the core of this division is Care of One™, an AI-driven platform delivering personalised digital experiences. Using real-time insights and intelligent automation, it enables seamless collaboration, secure remote access and proactive IT support, creating a connected workforce that drives enterprise agility and reduces operational costs.
The division delivers its offerings through the Care of One platform, which uses Gen AI to enable hyper-personalised user experiences and streamline workflows.
Rakshit says: “AI changes the rules of productivity, but to realise its potential, IT leaders must work alongside their executive teams to rethink how AI can augment their organisation’s competitive differentiation.”
This approach involves rethinking existing processes rather than simply overlaying AI technology onto current systems.
How to unlock real value from AI
Lenovo’s report provides three recommendations for businesses seeking to harness Gen AI in their digital workplace.
- Simplify and personalise the employee experience: Use AI to tailor tools, workflows and experiences to individual roles to ensure maximum productivity and innovation.
- Automate IT processes: Use AI to handle routine IT maintenance, software updates and technical support requests – freeing up your team to focus on higher-value tasks.
- Transform workflows for value creation: Rethink your existing workflows and processes to fully capitalise on Gen AI’s capabilities and drive innovation throughout the organisation.
Ultimately, Lenovo’s Reinventing Workplace Productivity report suggests that organisations must move beyond incremental improvements to achieve meaningful productivity gains from AI implementation.
“AI must be seamlessly integrated into core operations, creating a personalised and efficient digital workplace that enhances the employee experience and drives long-term productivity,” Rakshit concludes.
