"Full control of our applications and fast time-to-market [..] WEM empowers us to develop the software ourselves.”
~ Mieke Stam, Data Manager, Perined
For enterprises that get it right, the competitive advantage is transformational. For those that don't, the consequences are sobering:
- More than 80% of AI projects fail to deliver value (RAND).
- 42% of companies now abandon most AI initiatives, up sharply from just 17% last year (CIO Dive).
- Between 70–85% of GenAI deployments miss ROI targets (NTT Data).
Companies investing millions in agentic AI without enterprise orchestration are gambling with operational continuity, regulatory standing, and competitive position. The common pitfalls below reveal why enterprises need platforms like WEM 5.0 to ensure controlled, strategic implementation.
1. Compliance and security fallout
Without governance, your AI agents can become “rogue workers,” accessing the wrong systems, creating compliance risks, and exposing sensitive data. For executives, that’s a liability issue as much as an IT one.
No-Code solution
Deploy enterprise-grade platforms with integrated security frameworks. Healthcare organisation Perined leveraged WEM's no-code platform to coordinate patient data across multiple providers while maintaining compliance through built-in security controls, including GDPR-compliant hosting, and full API governance.
2. Legacy bottlenecks resurface
Your AI agents are only as effective as the systems they connect to. Plugging them into 20-year-old platforms often creates more friction than value.
Legacy systems were built decades ago without APIs or real-time data sharing, so when you connect agents to these environments, they constantly hit barriers: missing fields, siloed databases, and so on. Instead of seamless automation, your team gets endless workarounds, and costs balloon.
No-Code solution
Opt for a no-code orchestration layer that bridges legacy and modern systems sans the costly rebuilds. A prime example is the multinational clothing retailer C&A Retail, which modernized its supply chain by linking manufacturers, warehouses, and stores through WEM without tearing out legacy systems.
3. Lack of transparency and control
Many AI vendors pitch “plug-and-play intelligence,” masking the complexity of decision logic and integrations. The result? You're handed with agents built in a rush, stitched across opaque systems, and deployed without testing cycles.
Without the ability to preview or test agent behavior, you risk strategic misalignment—essentially, flying blind on business-critical decisions.
No-Code solution
A structured lifecycle should keep humans firmly in the loop. Example: Bakerstreet’s foodservice operations system used WEM’s live-preview publishing to continuously refine integrated APIs and workflows before launch.
4. Cost overruns hidden behind “innovation”
AI projects are notorious for runaway budgets. McKinsey estimates enterprise AI projects can cost $1M–$10M+. And without orchestration, Forbes Technology Council warns costs can balloon more than expected.
No-Code solution
WEM industrializes IT delivery, reducing reliance on expensive custom code while driving predictable ROI. Global investment firm FIO Capital achieved cost-efficient modernization of its data management system without needing to rebuild core systems from scratch.
5. Business strategy derailment
In manufacturing and logistics, some early AI agents re-ordered supplies based on predictive demand models. Sounds efficient, until the agents failed to account for contractual supplier constraints, bulk-order discounts, and regulatory import/export rules.
No-Code solution
Select no-code platforms for mission-critical alignment. Lely International has improved operations through automated supplier request workflows, resulting in better business outcomes and compliance in supplier management.
6. Missed market opportunity
Speed defines competitive advantage across industries, from logistics to healthcare. The paradox? Gartner predicts that 30% of generative AI projects will be abandoned after proof-of-concept, and fewer than 10% of AI use cases ever make it past the pilot stage (McKinsey).
If AI projects stall due to poor orchestration, your competitors will seize the advantage.
No-Code solution
Implement no-code platforms with proven deployment acceleration. Leveraging WEM’s pre-built integrations and API orchestration, TestDynamics’ medical AI imaging went from concept to operational faster than competing solutions, giving radiologists an immediate edge.
Strategy, not experiments
Executives can’t afford to gamble on AI. With high failure rates, escalating costs, and strategic risks, the wrong approach to agentic AI is more than an IT setback; it’s a growth killer.
With WEM 5.0, agentic AI isn’t just another technology. It’s a disciplined orchestration layer that makes AI secure, transparent, cost-efficient, and strategically aligned.
- Enterprise-Grade Security: Role-based access, GDPR-ready cloud hosting, and compliance guardrails ensure AI agents operate safely and within policy.
- No-Code as an Orchestration Layer: Connects legacy and modern systems without brittle custom integrations.
- Preview, Test, & Refine Lifecycle: Keeps humans in the loop, eliminating “black box” agents no one understands.
- Orchestration via the WEM Multiplier: Lets enterprises design how agents act, escalate, and adapt inside business workflows.
- Faster Time-to-Value: Pre-built integrations, live testing, and no-code development speed projects from idea to production.
- Cost Predictability: Industrialized IT delivery reduces reliance on scarce developers and costly rebuilds.
Agentic AI implementations gone wrong violate compliance, disrupt critical operations, and destroy stakeholder trust. For digital transformation leaders, the choice is clear: costly trial and error, or scalable solutions with WEM.
This blog post is a contribution from WEM No-Code, a no-code platform company that helps organisations avoid AI implementation pitfalls with proven methodologies and agentic AI foundations. You can find more inspiration at www.wem.io or visit WEM No-Code during Data Expo at booth #88.
