Why 2026 will be the year of intelligent automation in businesses.

The year 2026 marks a turning point in the adoption of intelligent automation in companies. After a decade of experimentally exploring artificial intelligence, the market has finally reached technological maturity, accessible infrastructure, and, most importantly, a growing corporate demand for speed and accuracy.

With the combination of generative AI, integrated Business Intelligence, and increasingly intuitive data platforms, companies will be able to transform days of analysis into minutes, and decisions previously based on intuition will gain support from solid evidence. Automation ceases to be a luxury and becomes a strategic engine of competitiveness.

Generative AI as a catalyst for operational efficiency

Generative AI, which gained prominence in 2023 and 2024, is rapidly evolving into practical applications within business operations. By 2026, it will no longer be merely a conversational tool and will assume profound roles: automatically writing reports, interpreting massive volumes of data, prioritizing tasks based on financial impact, and generating predictive projections in real time.

According to IDC projections, companies that adopt integrated generative AI in their operational workflows can see a reduction of up to 40% in the time spent on repetitive analyses. This efficiency is no longer a differentiator; it's a requirement for survival in markets that demand near-instantaneous responses.

Integrated BI as the basis for quick and reliable decisions

Alongside generative AI, integrated BI is gaining prominence as the backbone of automation. Data previously scattered across isolated tools—CRM, e-commerce, finance, marketing, and productivity—become connected in a single environment. This eliminates rework, reduces infrastructure costs, and puts an end to the old dilemma of the "correct version" of information.

By 2026, management will operate with dynamic dashboards, cross-analyses, and intelligent alerts that anticipate risks and opportunities. Integration, once considered complex, becomes simple thanks to platforms that connect systems with just a few clicks and without the need for code.

Automated Processes Accelerating Decision Making

The combination of generative AI and integrated BI creates what experts call intelligent decision automation. It's not just about automating tasks, but about automating reasoning. Modern platforms can analyze trends, identify anomalies, suggest actions, and even prioritize what really matters to the business.

By 2026, leaders will stop spending time compiling reports and start focusing on strategic execution. The decision-to-action cycle becomes shorter, increasing companies' ability to respond to the market with agility. In many cases, decisions that previously depended on entire teams now emerge automatically, based on reliable and up-to-date evidence.

Why this movement democratizes business intelligence

For years, only large corporations had access to robust BI tools, data scientists, and analytical consulting. The evolution of AI and data integration completely changes this scenario. Small and medium-sized enterprises can finally operate with the same level of analytical sophistication as market giants, paying a fraction of the cost and adopting intuitive technologies.

Intelligent automation becomes democratic, accessible, and scalable, allowing businesses of any size to accelerate growth, increase margins, and compete more effectively. This democratization marks 2026 as the year when data intelligence ceases to be a privilege and becomes the standard.

The role of Sherlock in this new scenario

As 2026 ushers in the era of intelligent automation, solutions like Sherlock take on a strategic role: connecting data, interpreting information in an integrated way, and transforming complex analyses into actionable insights.

The platform unites generative AI, analytical automation, and predictive BI in a single environment, helping companies make better, faster, and evidence-based decisions. Sherlock was created to be the co-pilot that simplifies complexity and puts real intelligence within reach of any manager, regardless of the size of the operation.