SHI’s Research Roundup for March 20, 2026

In this edition, we’re looking at the broader impact of AI across IT: shifting supply chains, rising SaaS spend, employee-led adoption, security risks, and a renewed focus on infrastructure. These reports highlight how organizations are adapting to a rapidly evolving landscape.

And in case you missed it, we’ve released a few new episodes of SHI’s Research Breakdown podcast! There’s a two-part episode covering 2026 tech predictions as well as two episodes discussing some of last month’s reports on the memory shortage. You can listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon, iHeart, or PodBean.

This report provides useful insight into where growth is, what is driving it, and how global supply chains are changing. It explores the impact of tariffs on diversification of import and export destinations and a drive to nearshoring in some geographies. We focused on the first section of this 119-page report as later sections are more specific to supply chain financing. 

Citi Research estimates that global capex related to AI demand will reach $7.75tn by 2030, while 36% of survey respondents indicated that they were using AI with $176.95bn invested in Gen AI between 2020 and 2025.  

In addition, the authors explore the use of AI in trade finance to reduce operational inefficiencies and risk – this is a complex discipline for which AI may offer significant benefits. 

While the report is aimed at readers who need to understand supply chain financing in the age of AI, it’s a useful read for anyone struggling to understand the complexities of the AI supply chain generally. Taking a financial view, it identifies where the risks and opportunities are – both from the point of the supply chain (geopolitical and economic risks), but also in terms of the development and adoption of AI technologies and the hardware and software infrastructure that supports them. 

Link: https://shi-intl.com/umHHY 

According to
Zylo
‘s 2026 SaaS Management Index, AI is reshaping the SaaS economics landscape — one swipe of a corporate card at a time.  

The eighth edition of Zylo’s annual report shows overall SaaS spending rising again, driven by what it calls “surprise spend”. Zylo found that 78% of IT leaders experienced unexpected AI-related charges or consumption in the past year, and 61% were forced to drop projects as a direct result.  

And as it turns out, much of this spending is initiated by employees. In fact, the report shows that expense-based SaaS purchasing grew 267% year over year, with ChatGPT topping the list of most-expensed applications.  

While the report notes that organizations with mature governance experience less volatility from surprise spending, it raises a pressing question: what happens when employees introduce new SaaS costs faster than IT can govern them? 

Link: https://shi-intl.com/umHH1 

Submitted by:

Virginia Fraser Barber

– Technical Writer – SHI 

While Zylo’s data shows how AI spend is entering the organization (corporate cards, expense reports, and surprise charges),
Qualtrics
’ global 2026 Employee Experience (EX) Trends report helps explain why.  

Within the backdrop of 72% of employees experiencing change, the report outlines that as employees face growing performance pressure, many are turning to AI for help. Notably, 37% of employees under high productivity pressure report sourcing AI tools themselves, with another 23% use a mix of work and personally-sourced AI tools.   

AI adoption is certainly a part of top-down transformation and strategic leadership conversations, but could Qualtrics’ data be suggesting that a parallel dynamic is unfolding from the bottom up in response to performance pressure?   

Link: https://shi-intl.com/umHH2 

Submitted by:

Virginia Fraser Barber

– Technical Writer – SHI 

This report highlights the rapid enterprise adoption of AI agents, with over 80% of Fortune 500 companies using them to enhance workflows. However, security risks are rising, including shadow AI, unsanctioned agents used by 29% of employees, and “double agents” vulnerable to manipulation.  

As autonomous task-specific agents become more prevalent, the report emphasizes the need for robust oversight to ensure safe, effective, and secure integration of AI into business operations. 

This report is not only useful for leaders such as CIOs and CISOs, but it also speaks to policymakers and consultants who advise organizations on AI adoption and risk management. Organizations must understand not just the benefits but also the critical responsibilities that come with deployment.  

Link: https://shi-intl.com/umHH6 

Submitted by:

Michael Brown

– Manager, Product Marketing – SHI 

This report offers an overview of high-level IT industry trends around budgeting, core focus areas, cybersecurity, and AI adoption. 

One key stat that caught my attention: 53% of organizations noted that they planned to give increased priority to infrastructure upgrades like legacy tech replacement, which will most likely include end user devices. 

This will be a useful read for IT leaders interested in the state of the industry. By covering a broad range of topics, it gives a bird’s-eye view of current trends, letting leaders see how their organizations fair against their peers and competitors. 

Link: https://shi-intl.com/umHH8 

Submitted by:

Thomas Olivo MBA

– Associate Product Marketing Manager – SHI