Workday has published “The copy/paste economy report” which explains why task-oriented AI is failing the enterprise. The research is based on a survey of 2,400 UK professionals across HR, finance, IT, and operations. The survey was conducted by The Harris Poll. The findings challenge the common belief that employees are disengaged and wary of AI. In reality, 97% of UK employees rate their daily work experience positively. Around 90% feel a strong sense of progress, ownership, and connection to organisational goals.
The 12-page report is divided into three main sections:
- Employees are happy – but they’re also the glue. That’s a problem
- AI is in the building. Now use it to transform work
- Fix the foundation. AI Adoption will follow
Each section contains a mix of commentary, analysis and data points. There are also a few data visualisations and comments from both Workday spokespeople and survey respondents. The report also includes some suggestions for what UK Leaders need to know in order to create a lasting advantage for their businesses.
AI is improving organisations
Employees believe AI can improve their work by removing friction and reducing manual tasks. Currently, 32% use AI to remove friction, and 38% use it to cut down on manual work.
However, problems arise when tasks cross systems or departments. Over 80% of employees spend significant time coordinating across teams and moving information between tools. This hidden workload slows decision-making and adds stress, even though employees feel productive.
AI’s value goes beyond speeding up individual tasks. When freed from repetitive coordination, employees can focus on judgment, creativity, and strategy. Already, 81% say AI improves their daily work, and 45% report accelerated productivity. Despite this, only 23% of UK organisations have deeply embedded AI in their core systems. Most AI remains on the periphery, limiting its impact.
…but there are issues
Employees are happy, but act as the glue holding disconnected systems together. 83% spend significant time coordinating work between teams or business systems. 85% move information between systems, and 81% reconcile conflicting data. One in four employees loses more than seven hours a week to these tasks. 62% spend at least half their time translating and coordinating instead of creating value.
AI could address these challenges, and employees are ready for it. 81% say AI has improved their work experience, and 53% say it has decreased task completion time. Employees using both required and self-selected AI tools report the highest satisfaction and productivity. However, most AI is not embedded in core workflows, causing lost time and increased stress.
Even in organisations scaling AI, 80% of employees say navigating processes and systems is stressful. Nearly three-quarters say core systems are slow and disruptive during change. As work evolves, rigid systems drag down both employee and business performance.
Most organisations treat AI as a high-tech fix rather than a tool for transformation. Employees want AI integrated directly into workflows, handling coordination in the background. Top AI use cases include monitoring metrics, onboarding, budgeting, and routing approvals. Nearly half say AI has accelerated work productively in these areas.
The future is embedded AI, not standalone AI
Barriers to AI’s value include uneven skills, too many approvals, rigid systems, and unclear guidance. 75% say decisions are delayed when information is missing, and 74% report disagreements over data. When AI is embedded, friction drops significantly. 41% with AI in core systems say it reduces friction, compared to standalone AI tools.
Organisations with embedded AI are nearly twice as likely to report meaningful time savings. 57% of employees in these organisations say AI has reduced task time by 25% or more. In contrast, only 39% report similar savings where AI is not embedded.
Employees want AI they can trust, integrated into systems they already use. 90% say AI increases their confidence in decisions when they trust the underlying system and data. The report concludes that the future of work is not just faster, but better. Organisations must embed AI into trusted systems, redesigning work around what AI and humans do best.
Daniel Pell, Vice President and Country Manager, UKI, Workday, commented, “Too many employees are serving as the human middleware between disconnected AI systems. The companies seeing the most value from AI are building it directly into the systems where their people, data and work come together.”
Enterprise Times: What does this mean?
For Workday, the findings validate its strategy of embedding AI into core business systems rather than treating AI as a peripheral add-on. Launched earlier this year, Sana from Workday initially consists of two Sana applications.
Sana for Workday is the new AI experience for Workday, which provides a new user experience for Workday users and integrates with existing Workday Agents. Sana Enterprise extends the Agentic AI platform across the whole enterprise technology stack.
The research shows that only 23% of UK organisations have deeply integrated AI, highlighting a major growth opportunity for Workday to lead in this space. By focusing on seamless AI integration, Workday can help customers unlock greater productivity, employee satisfaction, and strategic value.
For enterprise customers, the report reveals that employees are ready and eager for AI-driven transformation. While most employees feel positive about their work, they are burdened by manual coordination and disconnected systems. Embedding AI into workflows can reduce friction, speed up decision-making, and free employees to focus on higher-value tasks.
Customers who adopt Workday’s approach to AI integration are likely to see improved business outcomes, including faster processes and more engaged teams.
For partners, the report underscores the importance of supporting clients in moving beyond surface-level AI adoption. Partners can add value by helping organisations redesign processes, integrate AI into trusted systems, and address barriers such as skills gaps and system rigidity. The findings suggest that organisations with embedded AI are nearly twice as likely to achieve meaningful time savings, making this a compelling area for partner-led innovation and services.
In summary, the report positions Workday as a leader in AI-powered enterprise transformation. It encourages customers and partners to prioritise embedded, trusted AI solutions that align with how people actually work, driving both efficiency and satisfaction.
