Strategic Growth: 6 Priorities for the Agentic Enterprise in 2026

AI is redefining the future of work. But how?

A recent whitepaper from IDC reports that 32% of CEOs believe, in two years, nearly a third of their organisation’s operations will use AI.

From generative AI creating content to AI advisors providing insights into data, the introduction of AI continues to shift how and where work gets done. 

Now, agentic AI is paving the way for even bigger change – augmenting and empowering every employee to unlock more productivity, insight and energy for the work that really matters.

Yet, businesses in every industry are facing a choice: adapt quickly to become an agentic enterprise or risk falling behind those embracing AI-powered growth.

As we enter 2026, the AI conversation will only get louder. And if – like many others – you’re wondering where to put your efforts to become an agentic enterprise, here’s what analysts at IDC have to say.

1. Start with strategy

Preparing a strategy for agentic AI requires five components that all connect and overlap. These are:

1. What are your business objectives for the short-, medium- and long-term that need to be accomplished to implement agentic AI technologies?
2. How will you decide the best course of action when it comes to adopting agentic AI? What decisioning framework or structural approach will you use?
3. What are the potential use cases for agentic AI in your business, and how are you valuing and prioritising those use cases?
4. What does progress and success look like – what metrics and measurements for implementing agentic technologies will be used?
5. How will your company measure and manage risk proactively? 

2. Build foundational capabilities

To ensure the appropriate guardrails and guidelines are in place for both technological deployment and organisational change, launching an agentic Centre of Excellence is a good place to start. 

An agentic centre of excellence provides the structure and expertise to ensure agentic AI is used strategically and ethically. That means the technology has a solid data foundation and infrastructure – enabling data to be continually refreshed – so agents have access to the best-quality data: clean, easily accessible, up-to-date and unsiloed.

3. Create architecture for success

AI agents require an ecosystem of technology to function effectively in an enterprise, so you need the right architecture in place to make this possible. Start with your cloud capabilities – do you have what you need? What else might be necessary to support your agentic enterprise? Consider edge computing capabilities too, if necessary. 

As your business adopts more agents, processes will continue to change. So, the architecture for the system will need to be updated, along with applications – updating, changing or building your architecture isn’t a one-time only event for the agentic enterprise.

4. Prioritise business processes and workflows

Not every area of your business will be able to transition to agents – nor should it. By focusing on where the technology will add the most value to your business, you can start to prioritise areas, tasks and roles ready for agent adoption and implementation.

Secret Escapes and Capita are great examples of businesses which identified the processes and workflows that have the largest opportunity to drive value.

5. Effectively manage risk

A proactive risk management approach towards agentic AI is vital – from building safeguards, to improving transparency, and making sure there’s clear accountability and governance. 

Managing risk is also about ensuring compliance with local and international regulation. In the UK, for example, businesses may need to consider if they need to comply with the EU AI Act or Data Access and Use Act.

6. Navigate change

Very few organisations have been built to be AI-agent first, so managing change will be on the horizon. 

Starting at a task level and then shifting to a business process level, change will reach every part of the business. And it will continue to grow until a new business model is created. 

Becoming an agentic enterprise

The shift to embrace agentic AI isn’t just about technology adoption. It’s about reimagining businesses from every angle – from processes to workforce roles to value creation itself.

Success will depend on a comprehensive strategy. One that integrates evolving architectures, robust data foundations and change management.

The journey to becoming agentic will look different for every business, but if it’s a road you’re ready to head down then check out our step-by-step guide.

Learn more about agentic AI implementation and how the technology is redefining how work is conceived, delivered and valued in the full IDC report.