Beyond Digital Adoption: UK businesses race to turn investment into competitive advantage
Research shows widespread digital uptake and continued investment, with organisations increasingly focused on turning progress into measurable outcomes
Independent UK law firm Burges Salmon has published findings from its “Beyond Digital Adoption” report, highlighting strong progress in digital enablement across UK organisations, alongside an increasing focus on governance, workforce capability and long-term value.
The research, based on data collected in research conducted by YouGov, shows that 68% of organisations are already using AI tools, underlining the extent to which digital technologies are becoming embedded in day-to-day operations.
Alongside this, 68% of organisations are planning to invest in digital infrastructure over the next 12–24 months, demonstrating continued commitment to transformation despite ongoing cost pressures.
However, as adoption accelerates, the findings also point to a growing emphasis on how technologies are governed and embedded, with 41% of organisations expressing confidence in their AI risk management frameworks, while 29% highlight areas where further development may be needed.
Martin Cook, Partner, comments: “While some organisations are struggling with digital adoption, these findings reflect the strong foundations many organisations have already built as digital technologies become increasingly embedded in business operations.
As businesses continue to invest and scale their use of AI and data-driven tools, the focus is of leaders shifts towards governance, integration and long-term value. In our experience, those businesses that take a coordinated approach to aligning operational use cases with their technology, legal, supply chain and risk frameworks will be best placed to translate progress into sustainable, measurable outcomes.”
The report explores how senior business leaders are responding to the pressures and opportunities of digital change and five key themes were identified from the research: digital enablement gap, AI adoption & governance, cybersecurity, data & compliance, workforce & skills transformation, and investment & infrastructure.
Digital enablement gap
Many organisations have already established strong digital foundations, with 42% reporting advanced or embedded digital enablement. However, progress remains uneven, with 25% still at an early stage or yet to begin.
While improving operational efficiency continues to be a priority, legacy systems, evolving regulation and budget constraints are making it harder to fully realise the benefits of digital transformation. As a result, there is increasing recognition that while efficiency may act as a starting point, trust and compliance are critical to sustaining long-term progress.
AI adoption & governance
AI is now firmly established across most organisations, but its use is becoming more embedded and business critical.
With adoption accelerating, organisations are moving beyond early use cases towards more structured programmes, bringing governance, oversight and legal considerations into day-to-day operations. At the same time, 53% of organisations expect AI regulation and ethical considerations to increase in importance over the next 12–24 months.
With no single dominant use case emerging, AI value is being realised across a broad range of applications, reinforcing the importance of robust frameworks to support its continued growth.
Cybersecurity, data & compliance
Cybersecurity remains the dominant pressure point from a compliance perspective, with 54% of organisations identifying it as their primary challenge and 60% expecting threats to increase over the next two years. Data protection concerns remain close behind at 47%.
At the same time, organisations are responding, with cybersecurity ranked as the top area for digital infrastructure investment. Together, these findings point to an environment where rising threat levels are accelerating action, and where strong cyber resilience is increasingly recognised as a core component of digital maturity.
Workforce & skills transformation
The impact of digital transformation on the workforce remains varied, but organisations are anticipating significant change ahead.
While 39% report that digital enablement has had minimal impact on roles so far, 63% expect it to reshape employment within the next five years. Skills shortages (27%) and resistance to change (24%) are identified as the most significant barriers to progress, alongside wider capacity and training challenges.
This suggests that while the full impact is still emerging, organisations are beginning to focus more closely on how to equip their people with the skills and confidence needed to support continued transformation.
Investment & infrastructure
Investment in digital infrastructure is accelerating, with organisations prioritising cybersecurity (44%), AI and automation (32%), and data analytics platforms (22%) over the next 12–24 months.
However, progress is not without challenge. Cost and budget constraints remain the most significant barrier at 46%, alongside talent gaps and regulatory considerations. While many organisations view digital infrastructure as a key driver of competitiveness, levels of readiness vary, particularly where legacy systems and internal resistance remain.
A shift from adoption to enterprise-wide enablement
Taken together, the findings suggest that organisations are moving into a more mature phase of digital transformation.
With adoption increasingly embedded, attention is turning towards aligning technology with governance, risk and workforce strategies. As organisations move from pockets of progress to more consistent, enterprise-wide approaches, the opportunity lies in converting digital enablement into sustained growth, resilience and long-term value.
