Mechanisms of Process Innovation Enabled by Generative AI in Large Enterprises: Evidence from SAP, Valeo, and SITA

While GenAI is heavily praised as a tool to transform processes, the specific way it influences them remains under-studied. Current literature often falls into two categories: either describing its technical capabilities and the broader, aggregate productivity gains that can follow or detailing the specific features and tools powered by GenAI. As such, how GenAI gets integrated into and alters the day-to-day workings of organizations-its true operational influence-is underexplored. To fill this gap, this study gathered empirical, qualitative data from twelve semi-structured interviews with participants at three large firms: SAP, SITA, and Valeo. Findings show that while GenAI can aid microtasks such as composing emails, creating document summaries, outlining work or generating initial drafts, it is primarily utilized to support than replace core business processes. The study argues that GenAI exerts a more modest impact today through supporting human decision-making and knowledge work. Significant, wide-ranging process change will, over time, come into being by the variety of multiple influences that determine when and to what extent it is adopted. Crucial variations occur in factors such as the quality of organizational data, the openness of the leadership to incorporate the tool, employee know-how on this tool, the established processes in use and formal governance structures in organizations. It thus appears that innovation in processes by GenAI is incremental and heavily contingent on the conditions within an organization.