Businesses everywhere are moving fast to adopt AI. Yet many initiatives are fragmented, siloed, difficult to scale, and lacking adequate governance.
New research from Forrester Consulting, commissioned by Tines, surveyed more than 400 IT leaders in North America and Europe on the challenges of scaling AI and the role IT can play. The findings show that while governance, security, and cross-functional alignment are top priorities, they’re also some of the biggest barriers.
The big takeaway for IT leaders? Orchestration is key to scaling AI securely, effectively, and with maximum impact.
In fact, 86% of respondents said IT is uniquely suited to lead orchestration across teams, systems, and workflows.
Get the full study here or read on for the highlights.
Barriers to scaling AI
For all the investment and urgency around AI, scaling it across the enterprise remains a major hurdle. Even with AI high on the boardroom agenda, many organizations struggle to move beyond trialing one-off AI pilots to driving enterprise-wide impact. Here are some of the top barriers holding teams back:
Traditional governance models weren’t designed for AI’s speed or complexity. That leaves teams exposed to security risks, shadow AI, compliance failures, and reputational risk. And when ownership is fragmented, no one has clear accountability to drive AI forward, which makes it hard to drive impact and prove ROI. The result is siloed projects that rarely scale.
Orchestration is the missing link for trust, alignment, and impact
Orchestration is how IT can overcome these blockers and scale AI with trust, alignment, and impact.
According to the study, 88% of IT leaders say scaling AI is difficult without orchestration.
Orchestration unifies people, processes, technology, and workflows into a connected system. Done right, it improves efficiency, builds governance in from the start, and creates visibility across AI initiatives. In short, it tackles the biggest blockers to scaling: siloed systems, fragmented ownership, and security concerns that undermine trust.
With orchestration, IT can help drive innovation instead of slowing it down. It makes adoption sustainable and ensures AI scales responsibly while delivering measurable business value.
Why IT is best placed to drive orchestration
IT sits at the intersection of systems, data, and governance. That vantage point gives IT the enterprise-wide visibility and mandate to balance security with innovation in a way no other function can.
The research shows IT leaders recognize this role:
Yet many IT leaders say their role is underestimated. Too often, IT is seen as reactive, focused mainly on uptime and troubleshooting. Orchestration offers the chance to change that, positioning IT as a strategic driver of business outcomes.
How IT leaders can strengthen their strategic influence
Scaling AI isn’t just about deploying new technology or pushing mass adoption. It requires governance, trust, and alignment.
The study highlights the top enablers of IT leadership in AI orchestration: greater visibility across departments (51%), integrated data and workflow platforms (48%), and executive sponsorship (45%). Together, these give IT the influence and support needed to lead orchestration effectively.
With the right enablers in place, IT has the chance to drive secure, scalable AI that delivers measurable business impact.
Download the full study: Unlocking AI’s Full Value: How IT Orchestrates Secure, Scalable Innovation.