GEP and University of Virginia Study Identifies 5% of Supply Chain AI Projects Achieving Scale

May 21, 2026
A joint study by GEP and the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business finds that only 5% of supply chain AI initiatives reach enterprise scale, with top performers achieving triple-digit productivity gains through governance and operational redesign.

GEP and University of Virginia have published joint research showing that only 5% of supply chain AI initiatives achieve enterprise scale, while most remain in pilot or planning stages. The findings were announced in a press release.

The study, based on input from nearly 200 large enterprises, reports that the small group of successful companies achieved triple-digit productivity gains, faster response times, and lower error rates. Researchers found that success was linked to management discipline rather than technology or budget.

According to the study, organizations that scaled AI effectively shared several practices. These included establishing formal governance through AI steering committees, managing AI projects as structured portfolios, maintaining auditability through digital trails, and aligning workforce incentives with AI-enabled operations.

One example cited in the report described a standardized purchase requisition validation process that enabled about 80% of transactions to auto-clear, leading to significant productivity improvements within weeks.

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