Your ERP and CRM platforms are already running AI features nobody signed off on, and you won’t know until the invoice shows up.
UpperEdge and Emerj AI Research pulled back the curtain on what’s actually happening inside enterprise AI deals right now, drawn from UpperEdge’s work advising on more than 1,000 enterprise technology transactions, not theoretical governance frameworks.
In several cases UpperEdge tracked, AI-enabled workflows expanded so fast that usage escalated within the first quarter alone, and leaders didn’t see the financial hit until the invoices landed. David Cost, Chief Digital Officer at Rainbow Shops, breaks down exactly why that happens and why governance has to move as fast as the technology does.
Here’s what’s inside:
- How vendor roadmaps and pricing models are outpacing traditional planning cycles
- Which contract terms are already getting rewritten mid-agreement, and what that means for your renewal leverage
- Where governance gaps are letting AI usage escalate before anyone approves it
- The playbook UpperEdge’s advisors are using with clients now: usage audits, six-month contract checkpoints, and mandatory proof-of-concepts before the next AI commitment gets signed
