Posted by Mumbai: Global B2B enterprises having outsized growth are 6x (times) more likely to have deployed AI agents and 2x more likely to increase headcount challenging the ‘AI replace jobs’ narrative revealed a new 2025 SRM report.
Responsive, formerly RFPIO, the AI-powered strategic response management provider, in partnership the with the Association of Proposal Management (APMP) today released the report revealed that high-performing global B2B enterprises are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) as a strategic growth catalyst, rather than merely a tool for productivity.
Interestingly, the data captured through a survey of 726 global revenue leaders and practitioners in study titled 2025 State of Strategic Response Management (SRM) Report pointed out two unique aspects on the use of AI agents by the revenue teams in those organisations, to win more business as well as expand their teams.
Top-performing companies called as “Leaders” with over 25% revenue growth year-over-year — are 6x more likely to have deployed AI agents across revenue functions and more than twice as likely to use AI for decision-making and workflow optimisation, as per the report.
In contrast, the report found that companies with flat or declining growth called as “Novices” — are slower to adopt AI and more likely to rely on manual processes and fragmented workflows.
The research identified a widening gap between Leaders and Novices with AI usage becoming the key differentiator. Over half of AI adopters report increasing headcount, compared to just 27% of companies not using AI, a data point that challenges fears around AI-driven job loss.
“The 2025 Strategic Response Management Report makes it clear: AI isn’t just a tool; it’s both a force multiplier and a catalyst for transforming how organisations compete and win,” said Responsive CEO Ganesh Shankar.
“When strategic response teams are empowered with AI, they gain sharper insights, faster decision-making, and greater agility. The most successful organisations are those investing in this synergy, amplifying human expertise with AI to democratise knowledge, unlock higher win rates and accelerate revenue growth,” added Shankar
High-performing enterprises are having heavy AI investment and using it strategically to drive competitive advantage. Instead of confining AI to routine task automation, Leaders are applying it to more sophisticated areas, such as decision-making and workflow orchestration.
While many organisations remain focused on tactical AI implementations, the report stated that Leaders are unlocking greater value via a more strategic and integrated approach across the entire pursuit lifecycle.
Key findings include:
- B2B buyers expect more from sellers than ever before. More than 75% of organisations say buyers have tighter budgets, expect faster response times, and require a higher degree of personalisation – raising the bar for response speed, customisation, and accuracy.
- High-growth teams are betting on tech and doubling down on people. 77% of Leaders report investing in tech, and 69% say they are also investing in staffing, balancing investments in AI and automation with investment in human resources. Novices are less than half as likely to be growing headcount.
- Companies that are actively using AI are significantly more likely to be growing their teams. Among AI adopters, more than half report increasing staffing year over year, compared to just 27% of companies not using AI.
- AI is increasingly the difference between growth and stagnation. While many organisations use AI to accelerate execution, the highest-performing teams go further, applying AI not just to do the work, but to guide it.
Leaders are more than twice as likely as Novices to use AI for orchestrating workflows and assignments (41% vs 17%), surfacing insights from win/loss data (37% vs. 18%), and making go/no-go decisions (37% vs. 26%) –speaking to a shift from task automation to decision intelligence.
More than half (54%) of organisations are either trialling or have fully deployed AI within SRM workflows (i.e. RFPs, security questionnaires, due diligence questionnaires, and more).
Adoption climbs even higher in certain segments:72% of large enterprises; 67% of organisations answering more than 10 RFPs per month; and 64% of technology companies. Additionally, 62% of companies report revenue tied to strategic responses increased YoY.
As AI agents are gaining traction, leading enterprises are 6x more likely to have fully deployed AI agents and 3x more likely to use AI across revenue functions. But still a high portion of the market remains hesitant on AI adoption, with more than 10% of organisations and up to 36% of smaller businesses saying they’re not using AI agents and have no plans to start within the next year.
“As the bid and proposal profession evolves, understanding the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping our work is more important than ever,” said Julia Duke, COO of APMP.
“This survey provides meaningful insights into the strategies and practices that are helping teams succeed today. APMP is proud to support research that advances the knowledge and growth of bid and proposal management professionals globally,” added Duke.