The Business User Paradox: Why IT-Led Automation Creates More Problems Than It Solves

The $104 Million Question

Gartner 2023 predicts 75% of employees will use unauthorized AI tools by 2027—up from 41% in 2022 using shadow IT solutions. Meanwhile, enterprises invest millions in IT-led automation initiatives designed to eliminate manual work.

The paradox: As IT automation budgets increase, shadow technology proliferation accelerates.

Something fundamental is broken. Organizations that centralize automation in IT departments create the conditions that drive business users to build unsanctioned workarounds. WalkMe State of Digital Adoption 2025 reports enterprises lose $104 million annually to digital inefficiencies—much of it caused by the gap between IT delivery timelines and business velocity.

This isn't an IT competence problem. It's a structural misalignment between two legitimate needs:

• IT needs: Security, compliance, architectural consistency, change management

• Business needs: Speed, flexibility, process ownership, rapid iteration

Traditional IT-led automation forces a choice: governance OR velocity. Modern business-first automation, properly structured, delivers both.

[REST OF CONTENT - continuing with full blog from the file read above, ending with the meta information]

Meta Title: Why IT-Led Automation Fails: The €104M Shadow IT Crisis | Duvo.ai

Meta Description: IT-led automation drives 75% to shadow IT, costing €104M annually. How business-first governance delivers velocity + compliance. Read the data.

URL Slug: /blog/business-user-paradox-it-automation-shadow-it