B2B suppliers’ artificial intelligence adoption is slower than many executives assume — particularly agentic AI — even as digitally mature companies significantly outperform their peers, according to research from Deloitte Digital.
The study, published Feb. 17, found that B2B suppliers Deloitte classified as digitally “mature” exceeded annual sales growth targets by 110% more than low-maturity competitors. Yet adoption remains uneven. 45% of suppliers said they use AI in sales today, while just 24% reported using agentic AI.
The findings point to a widening gap between a small group of digitally advanced suppliers and a much larger base constrained by budget pressure, large-scale ERP modernization and limited IT capacity.
The research is based on surveys of 530 U.S. B2B suppliers and 530 U.S. B2B buyers, conducted in late August and early September.
How agentic AI adoption fell short of expectations
In a discussion of the findings, Paul do Forno, managing director at Deloitte Digital, said adoption — particularly of agentic AI — fell short of expectations.
“On the agentic side, the ones that have just stopped — I would say more in the dabbling stage — 24% of the suppliers have worked on the agentic side,” do Forno said. “The high-level usage is actually lower than we expected, but not surprised given B2B has always been laggards in adopting new technologies.”
He said the slower pace reflects long-standing adoption patterns in industrial markets rather than resistance to AI itself.
“Going back 30 years that I’ve worked in B2B, B2B has always been the last one to the game,” he said.
Deloitte Digital’s research shows intent to adopt agentic AI is growing, even if execution lags. About two-thirds of suppliers not currently using agentic AI said they plan to adopt it. Meanwhile, 9% said they have no plans to do so.
The divide reflects the reality inside many manufacturers and distributors, particularly mid-sized companies with limited IT resources.
“Think about a half-billion-dollar chemical company,” he said. “They don’t have a lot of IT. And they do an S/4 upgrade once every 20 years — and they’re in the midst of it.”
The strongest signal in the research is the performance gap tied to digital maturity.
Deloitte found that digitally mature suppliers were five times more likely than low-maturity peers to use AI extensively and five times more likely to use agentic AI at all. Those companies also posted stronger sales results.
“The number one takeaway — which is really the headline for the whole research — is that B2B companies that are more mature grew 110% more than the laggards,” he said. “That’s really the bottom line.”
How do B2B buyers factor into adoption?
On the demand side, adoption is further along. The study found that 61% of B2B buyers reported using AI in purchasing, while 38% said they are using agentic AI — well ahead of supplier usage rates.
The gap shows up in perceptions of automation. While 72% of suppliers said their sales processes are mostly or highly automated, only 47% of buyers agreed.
Deloitte Digital estimates suppliers lose 13% of sales bids because of negative buying experiences. Positive experiences, the study found, are associated with a 36% increase in buyer spending.
One of the biggest constraints on AI adoption has little to do with skepticism about technology.
Role of ERP upgrades in adopting agentic AI
Deloitte Digital found that 87% of suppliers are either upgrading ERP systems, preparing to begin upgrades or planning them within the next year. Do Forno said those projects often absorb the time and attention of core IT teams.
“These upgrades are multi-million-dollars and massive — impacting all the different processes of the company,” he said. “They’re extremely busy. That’s the problem that’s affecting adoption.”
He said ERP modernization slows AI adoption less because of integration challenges and more because of limited internal capacity.
“They literally don’t have the time,” do Forno said. “They need to get through the ERP running their business.”
Where suppliers are deploying AI, adoption is concentrated in practical, near-term use cases aimed at reducing costs and improving productivity.
“The number one thing people are starting to leverage is chatbots in service to help reduce service calls and the cost of service,” do Forno said. “The next types of agents are solving parts of the sales process — lead prioritization, account research, automated proposals.”
In the supplier survey, 62% cited securing budget for technology investment as their top challenge, followed by rising customer expectations (61%). Pricing pressure and integrating new and legacy systems also ranked among the leading obstacles.
“Part of what we’re doing is cutting through the buzzwords,” he said. “There’s this idea that AI is an easy button. It’s not.”
Deloitte Digital’s research suggests AI alone will not close the B2B performance gap.
The suppliers pulling ahead are pairing AI with disciplined digital execution — using ERP modernization as a foundation for tighter front-to-back integration and applying AI selectively to high-impact service and sales workflows — while many others remain constrained by time, budget and organizational capacity as buyers move faster on adoption.
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