In recent years, Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI) has emerged as a transformative force in the business world, particularly in the realm of operational excellence (OPEX). Since its widespread emergence in 2022, leading organizations across various industries have been exploring its potential to optimize operations, enhance efficiency, and significantly reduce costs.
The PEX Report 2024/25 highlights that AI will be the top area of investment to drive operational and business transformation in the coming year. More than 50% of surveyed professionals state that their companies are already evaluating AI projects, with operations departments leading these strategic discussions.
According to Debashis Sarkar, Managing Partner at Proliferator Advisory & Consulting, generative AI is already finding real applications across multiple operational domains, including customer service, manufacturing, product development, supply chain, finance, human resources, and IT support.
Data supports this trend: a McKinsey study reveals that 63% of executives consider implementing generative AI a high or very high priority. Additionally, joint research from Microsoft and IDC shows an increase in adoption from 55% in 2023 to 75% in 2024. However, only 11% of organizations have managed to implement the technology at scale, highlighting the need for a structured, platform-based approach to unlock its full transformative potential.
Success Story: Electronic Arts (EA)
A standout example of this transformation is Electronic Arts (EA), one of the world’s most influential video game companies. For EA, generative AI is not just a trend—it’s an essential part of their business core. The company’s CEO, Andrew Wilson, states that they currently have over 100 active AI projects across three strategic areas: efficiency, expansion, and transformation.
- Efficiency: At EA, this is not just about cost reduction, but about performing existing tasks faster, more affordably, and at a higher quality. This includes enhanced iteration capabilities, broader testing, and more refined content for its community. Generative AI also removes barriers for developers and allows content to be adapted for different regions worldwide.
- Expansion: AI provides EA’s creative teams with an “exponentially larger canvas,” enabling them to fulfill their promise of delivering memorable experiences to billions of people over extended periods.
- Transformation: Looking to the future, EA is exploring new ways to play, watch, create, and connect—many of which are currently unimaginable. Generative AI will be key to evolving user-generated content, opening new frontiers in entertainment experiences.
The Path to Operational Excellence with AI
At Spark Opex, we firmly believe that generative AI represents a historic opportunity to radically redesign operations. But achieving this requires more than enthusiasm—it demands strategy, structure, and a clear vision of the value to be captured.
Our mission is to help organizations unlock the full potential of this technology to achieve more agile, intelligent, and future-ready operations. From identifying use cases to scaling implementation, we guide our clients every step of the way.