Uncovering Secrets to Successful GenAI Adoption in Your Organization

GenAI is rapidly transforming the workplace, offering organizations unprecedented opportunities for efficiency, innovation, and growth. Yet, realizing the full potential of GenAI is neither automatic nor guaranteed. Many companies grapple with low adoption rates, unclear use cases, and the delicate balance between empowering employees and maintaining robust security standards. With only a fraction of mid-market companies successfully integrating AI and more than half struggling to identify relevant use cases, it’s clear that a strategic, holistic approach is essential. 

Orange Business stands out as a prime example of successful GenAI adoption. We put trust at the heart of our implementation of Live Intelligence, our in-house GenAI tool; and it’s fair to say that embedding ethical principles and responsible AI practices into your GenAI strategy from the beginning is the only way to deliver value. To read more about this, please download our "The Value of Adoption" white paper. Beyond that, we have uncovered three pivotal insights that have fueled our AI journey: prioritizing education and training, striking the right balance between security and access, and fostering a culture of collaboration. This article synthesizes our experience to offer practical lessons for organizations seeking to unlock the true value of GenAI. 

Recognizing that technology alone cannot drive transformation, we invested thousands of hours in ensuring employees understood both how to use new tools and why they mattered. Rather than relying on generic communications or one-size-fits-all training, Orange Business linked education to its broader corporate strategy, giving employees the context and clarity needed to appreciate the value AI could deliver. Employees at all levels were encouraged to experiment, learn, and innovate, creating a grassroots-led culture where new ideas could be surfaced and operationalized for greater organizational efficiency.

The second cornerstone of Orange’s GenAI strategy is the careful balancing of security requirements with the need for widespread, easy access to AI tools. Overly restrictive policies can stifle creativity and discourage adoption, while excessive permissiveness can encourage users to turn to "shadow AI" with all the risk that entails. We quickly recognized that the key was to create a robust yet “light-touch” security framework—one that protects data and compliance without creating unnecessary barriers for employees. 

To achieve this, we established clear guidelines and controls at the organizational level. Top-down governance centralized security and compliance, while democratized access empowered teams and individuals to experiment and innovate. By tracking both adoption and usage patterns, Orange Business was able to ensure that security measures did not hinder innovation, but rather facilitated it by building trust in the platform and its capabilities.

Successful GenAI adoption extends beyond technical implementation—it requires nurturing a collaborative, innovative culture. We understood that use cases and AI agents developed for one part of the organization could benefit other departments, so employees were encouraged not only to experiment with AI tools but also to communicate their successes and lessons learned. By enabling teams to share and discover innovations across the company, Orange Business broke down silos and amplified the impact of individual initiatives. 

Our focus on measurement was instrumental in refining its GenAI strategy. Rather than relying solely on access statistics, the company drilled down into actual usage and engagement. Out of 90,000 users, two-thirds tried the technology at least once, and half engaged with it monthly. These millions of monthly requests provided a wealth of data, enabling leaders to identify successful use cases, address challenges, and adjust strategies as needed. 

The ambitious goal of having half the workforce as regular users by year-end reflects Orange Business’s commitment to continuous improvement and its belief in the transformative power of GenAI. Tracking these metrics not only demonstrated the program’s success but also provided actionable insights for future initiatives.

Leadership played a pivotal role in Orange Business’s GenAI journey. Visible, active support from senior leaders fostered credibility and trust, ensuring that GenAI adoption was seen as a strategic priority rather than a passing trend. 

This strategic alignment was critical in overcoming common barriers to AI adoption. By linking education, access, and collaboration to the company’s broader goals, Orange Business ensured that employees understood not only how to use AI tools but also how their efforts contributed to organizational success. This clarity of purpose helped drive higher adoption and maximize the value derived from GenAI.

The experience of Orange Business offers valuable lessons for any organization seeking to harness the power of GenAI. By measuring impact, supporting employees, and linking AI initiatives to strategic objectives, organizations can drive higher adoption rates, maximize value, and position themselves at the forefront of technological change.

For business leaders, managers, and decision-makers, the path to successful GenAI adoption is clear: prioritize people, balance security with empowerment, and cultivate a spirit of collaboration. With these principles as a foundation, organizations can unlock the secrets behind GenAI’s transformative potential and shape a future defined by innovation and growth.