While 66 per cent of organizations are piloting agentic AI, a 97 per cent readiness gap highlights a critical disconnect between ambition and foundational preparedness, putting a projected CA$20.2 million* in two-year returns per company at risk.
TORONTO, Sept. 10, 2026 /CNW/ -- Canadian businesses are in a high-speed race to adopt agentic AI, the next wave of AI where autonomous agents execute complex business tasks, but new research from SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) and Oxford Economics reveals a critical readiness gap is potentially jeopardizing their success. The study highlights that the issue isn't the potential of AI, but a lack of preparation in the foundational data, processes, and governance required to harness it effectively. While two-thirds (66 per cent) of Canadian organizations are already piloting agentic AI, a staggering 97 per cent admit they are not fully prepared to deploy and govern these powerful tools.
The average Canadian organization expects to spend CA$39.4 million* on AI this year and anticipates that investment will drive a 20 per cent return on investment (ROI). That ROI is projected to nearly double to 38 per cent within two years, unlocking an additional CA$20.2 million* in value per company, largely fueled by expectations for agentic AI.
Agentic AI is seen as the next frontier of productivity, and 82 per cent of the 200 Canadian businesses surveyed believe it has moderate to high potential. However, the study reveals that this enthusiasm is met with predictable challenges during implementation, as a lack of preparation stalls progress. Businesses are looking to deploy advanced AI on top of systems and data that are not yet optimized, creating a governance gap that impedes data integrity, operational stability, and financial returns.
"The technology is ready. The challenge is getting the business ready for the technology. Getting measurable value from AI requires a different approach," said Cathy Tough, Country Manager, SAP Canada. "AI that lacks business context creates activity without outcomes, and at worst introduces risk. Businesses in Canada, large and small, need to connect AI directly to the core data and processes that run their organizations and make sure it has the context and governance to drive trusted results. That's what we call the Autonomous Enterprise, where agents, processes, and people work as one, backed by trusted governance, to achieve real outcomes."
Symptoms of an Unprepared Foundation
Organizations using agentic AI have encountered significant issues that point directly back to foundational gaps:
- Higher-than-expected integration effort (64 per cent)
- Reliability or quality issues as usage scaled (54 per cent)
- Agents taking incorrect actions (48 per cent)
- Inconsistent outcomes for the same process (44 per cent)
These issues are arising in an environment with limited controls. Seventy per cent of Canadian business leaders admit (either agree or are unsure) they are deploying AI agents faster than their governance can keep up, and nearly half (46 per cent) do not have a human-in-the-loop process for these autonomous workflows.
Pinpointing the Readiness Gap: It's Data, Strategy, Process and Governance
The challenges with agentic AI are symptoms of a broader, systemic issue. The study shows that despite high spending, businesses need to prioritize the strategic oversight and foundational readiness required for AI to thrive.
- Fragmented Strategy: Only 18 per cent of Canadian companies take a centralized, strategic approach to AI. Most still operate with department-led (39 per cent) or piecemeal (35 per cent) approaches, preventing them from connecting AI to core business value.
- The Data Tax: While 65 per cent of businesses believe they are data-ready, the reality is starker: 73 per cent admit to struggling with incomplete or inconsistent data. This is stalling productivity, with 71 per cent of organizations experiencing rework and delays due to low-quality AI outputs.
- The Skills Gap & Shadow AI: Seventy-eight per cent of business leaders are not convinced their upskilling efforts are keeping pace with AI's evolution. This may be fueling Shadow AI (unauthorized AI use), which 56 per cent of organizations say happens at least occasionally.
The Path Forward: Building the Autonomous Enterprise on a Trusted Foundation
The study reveals AI governance may be the biggest blind spot for Canadian businesses. Less than one-in-five feel their internal skills (17 per cent) or processes (16 per cent) are fully ready for AI governance.
To bridge the gap between AI ambition and real-world value, businesses must shift their focus from chasing isolated tools to building an enterprise-wide strategy on a clean, governed, and business-ready foundation.
"The path to value isn't just more AI, it's smarter AI operating within a trusted framework. SAP's model for the Autonomous Enterprise is simple: humans direct, assistants coordinate, and agents execute," said Anthony Robinson, Chief Technology Officer, SAP Canada. "This ensures that humans set the strategy while AI handles the orchestration and execution, all within a governed, auditable environment with humans in the loop at key moments. By embedding AI into core business processes, rather than bolting it onto a shaky foundation, we close the exact readiness gaps this study highlights and give businesses the confidence to scale."
About the Study
These insights have been revealed in new global research, conducted by Oxford Economics, The SAP Value of AI Report, which surveyed 2,600 business leaders across 13 countries, including 200 from Canada. The sample was distributed between midmarket organizations (500 – 1500 employees) and enterprises (1,500 or more). Respondents were qualified to ensure they were at least director level and above.
* Respondents were asked to provide financial estimates in USD. CAD figures are based on an exchange rate of 1.3863, as of September 2, 2026.
SOURCE SAP
Seyna Kim, Account Manager, Edelman Canada, [email protected]
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