Top method for measuring ROI for AI software investments is employee productivity: G2 study

Hyderabad: Employee productivity is the number 1 metric to measure the ROI on AI based software purchases and sales, according to survey themed “Proving Value in the Age of AI,” conducted by G2, the world’s largest and most trusted software marketplace.

Of the buyers who said their organisation had purchased an AI platform within the last 3 months, 83 per cent reported their organisation has already seen a positive ROI from that purchase.

“AI is changing – and will revolutionise – the way software is researched, purchased, and sold,” said Godard Abel, Co-founder and CEO, G2. “We’ve already observed the shift of B2B software buying to mirror consumer-like shopping. Now, as we’ve entered an age of AI, we’re seeing an acceleration in software innovation and the shift to digital buying. Buyers want to find the right tools for their business and see value from them faster than ever. In this new environment, vendors have an opportunity to meet rising expectations – moving at the speed of AI to deliver new innovations and immediate ROI for customers.”

The 2024 Buyer Behaviour Report revealed that 65 per cent of software buyers globally plan to increase their investment in AI software over the next year, with this share growing to 81 per cent for India-based buyers – underscoring the growing influence of AI on purchasing decisions and the evolving dynamics between buyers and vendors.

A key finding of the report is that AI fuels B2B spending. As many as 52 per cent of buyers globally and 78 per cent of India-based buyers anticipate increased technology and software spending in the coming year. AI is a clear driver of this spend as 56 per cent of all respondents and 75 per cent of India-based respondents reported their organisation had purchased an AI platform in the last three months when they were surveyed in March 2024.