- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Organizations with Strong Knowledge Foundations Outperform on AI, Growth, and Client Trust
New iManage study finds mature knowledge management leads to better business outcomes
Published on Feb. 11, 2026
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
A new global study by iManage of 3,185 business and technology decision-makers across 26 countries shows that professional services firms with mature, well-governed knowledge foundations significantly outperform their peers on AI adoption, business performance, and client trust. The research finds that while AI has reached a tipping point, only organizations with strong knowledge foundations are translating experimentation into sustained, everyday value.
Why it matters
This research confirms that investment in knowledge systems, architecture and AI is critical for organizations to gain a competitive advantage. Firms that take a unified, organization-wide approach to knowledge management and governance are far more likely to move from AI experimentation to confident, scalable adoption and see better business outcomes.
The details
The study finds that while 85% of firms are piloting, implementing, or using AI, only 17% have embedded AI into daily operations, highlighting a growing gap between ambition and impact. Organizations with higher knowledge work maturity are nearly twice as likely as less mature peers to report year-over-year revenue growth and are more likely to self-report profitability and stronger financial performance. However, nearly one-third of organizations report experiencing a policy-impacting incident related to unregulated AI tools, and almost 30% have delayed AI adoption due to security concerns.
- The iManage Knowledge Work 2026 Benchmark Report is based on a survey conducted between September and October 2025.
The players
iManage
The company dedicated to Making Knowledge Work, which conducted the study.
Laura Wenzel
Global Insights Director at iManage.
Reena SenGupta
Executive Director at RSGi.
What they’re saying
“What this data shows is that AI success isn't about who experiments fastest - it's about who has done the foundational work. Organizations with mature knowledge environments are better positioned to deploy AI consistently, govern it responsibly, and earn trust from both clients and employees. Without that foundation, AI simply amplifies existing friction and risk.”
— Laura Wenzel, Global Insights Director (iManage)
“This research confirms that investment in knowledge systems, architecture and AI is non-negotiable. Law firm strategy cannot be a wait and see, or be a second follower. Competitive advantage is being won by the advanced knowledge organizations and now we have the data to prove it.”
— Reena SenGupta, Executive Director (RSGi)
What’s next
The Knowledge Work 2026 Benchmark Report provides a global benchmark for how organizations are approaching AI today - and a practical reference point for assessing whether their foundations will enable scale or compound risk in the year ahead.
The takeaway
Organizations that take a unified, organization-wide approach to knowledge management and governance are far more likely to move from AI experimentation to confident, scalable adoption and see better business outcomes, including higher revenue growth and profitability.
