South African executives are under pressure to show AI ROI. Workday offers a practical playbook for the C-suite.

TechCentral

South African executives face pressure to demonstrate measurable AI ROI as the technology moves past inflated expectations into a maturity phase. A practical C-suite playbook outlines how CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, CHROs, and COOs should each approach AI adoption — from setting strategic direction and enforcing ROI discipline to securing data foundations and preparing a hybrid workforce. Key concepts include the human-AI collaboration model, the rise of AI agents and the governance challenges of agent sprawl, and the distinction between deterministic and probabilistic AI systems. Workday's Agent System of Record (ASOR) is presented as a governance solution for managing a blended digital and human workforce.

How South African executives can crack the AI ROI code

A practical philosophy: humans and AI together

Combining deterministic and probabilistic systems