In a move to address growing gaps between customer insight and real-time action, IBM has introduced new industry-focused solutions in collaboration with Adobe, aimed at advancing AI-powered experience orchestration across sectors.
New research from the IBM Institute for Business Value highlights the urgency. Companies are losing an average of $29 million annually due to slow responses to customer needs, while 75% of executives say their organizations struggle to keep pace with changing expectations. At the same time, 88% believe customers expect brands to anticipate their needs before they are expressed.
The collaboration combines Adobe’s Customer Experience Orchestration tools, including Adobe Real-Time CDP, with IBM’s AI capabilities such as IBM watsonx Orchestrate and agentic AI frameworks. Together, these solutions aim to help organizations identify customer intent faster and act in real time, while maintaining governance and trust.
The research underscores the business impact of effective orchestration. Companies that successfully interpret customer intent report 13% lower acquisition costs, 6% higher retention, and improved customer satisfaction. Organizations that pair AI-driven responsiveness with governance see 12% higher marketing ROI and a 38% increase in customer lifetime value. In contrast, delays in acting on customer signals can reduce marketing ROI by 30–40 percentage points.
IBM is introducing these solutions initially in industries such as airlines and healthcare. In aviation, the focus is on predictive personalization, unified traveler data, and AI-driven commerce across digital and physical touchpoints. In healthcare, the approach aims to reduce friction by connecting patient data, streamlining workflows, and improving service delivery.
IBM’s collaboration with Riyadh Air serves as an early example, where an AI-powered concierge built on watsonx supports real-time customer interactions. Insights from this work have helped shape the new offerings.
Industry leaders highlight the need for change. Eric Martinez, Chief Business Marketing Officer at The Cigna Group, noted that patients expect seamless experiences across providers. Similarly, Marvin James Burton, Director of Digital Experiences at Riyadh Air, pointed to a gap between customer expectations and current industry capabilities.
The study also reveals that only 34% of collected customer data is actively used to improve experiences, pointing to a lack of real-time orchestration rather than a shortage of data.
By combining AI, unified data, and governance, IBM and Adobe aim to help organizations bridge this gap and deliver consistent, real-time customer experiences.
Also read: Viksit Workforce for a Viksit Bharat
Do Follow: The Mainstream LinkedIn | The Mainstream Facebook | The Mainstream Youtube | The Mainstream Twitter
About us:
The Mainstream is a premier platform delivering the latest updates and informed perspectives across the technology business and cyber landscape. Built on research-driven, thought leadership and original intellectual property, The Mainstream also curates summits & conferences that convene decision makers to explore how technology reshapes industries and leadership. With a growing presence in India and globally across the Middle East, Africa, ASEAN, the USA, the UK and Australia, The Mainstream carries a vision to bring the latest happenings and insights to 8.2 billion people and to place technology at the centre of conversation for leaders navigating the future.
