Most companies only deliver 60% of their potential; IFS Intelligence to unlock balance 40%

IFS CEO Mark Moffat gestures during his keynote at the 

opening of the IFS.ai Unleashed 2026, which kicked off 

yesterday in Orlando, Florida 

By Nisthar Cassim in Orlando, Florida

Leading provider of Industrial AI software IFS yesterday revealed that most companies operate at only 60% of their potential and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help unlock the balance 40%.

"We often see industrial organisations operating at around 60% of their potential. The missing 40% is already inside the business. It sits in the expertise of the control room, the knowledge of the night shift, and the data spread across every system," IFS CEO Mark Moffat said in his keynote at the opening of the IFS.ai Unleashed 2026, which kicked off yesterday in Orlando, Florida.

"There's more our businesses can do, but we just can't reach it. Missing capacity, missing productivity, the unleveraged expertise – we can feel it. That growth – it sat on the table, waiting to be unlocked, and we just learned to live with the constraints that we had. So, unlocking that potential is the opportunity of our generation, and it is an immediate access to economic growth for our companies. But it's a choice, and you have to take it. You have to run at it. You have to embrace this AI world," Moffat emphasised.

To help companies unlock the balance 40% potential, IFS yesterday launched its latest solution, 'IFS Intelligence', which Moffat said brings all of it together and puts it to work. He said, "Companies who use data in action will be most successful."

"People can ask a question, take action, or hand a task to a digital worker, all within the rules, permissions and approvals that govern their business. That is how the industry closes the gap," the IFS CEO added.

He said that Industrial AI has to be about unlocking some of that potential, getting employees to be more productive, and giving them an enriched job experience.

It was revealed that there will be a proliferation of robotic capacity in the workforce, and at IFS.ai Unleashed 2026, IFS is showcasing 18 robotics use cases.

"All of the data that's been trained on AI today amounts to a petabyte. To visualise a petabyte of data, that's the equivalent of 50 hard drives fitting into one," said Moffat, who added that IFS is bringing new levels of insight and reasoning across that operational data to help companies unlock the remaining 40% potential.

The IFS.ai Unleashed is the premier global gathering for leaders transforming the world's most essential operations. The flagship event over the next 2 days will bring together over 100 sessions covering eight industries and domains, including Aerospace and Defence, Construction and Engineering, Energy, Utilities and Resources, Manufacturing, Telecommunications, and Transportation.

IFS is the leading provider of Industrial AI software, and Sri Lanka also contributes to its success, given IFS's operations here for over 25 years, with over 3,000 of its 7,000 employees globally. IFS has operations in over 90 countries. In 2024, IFS marked a $ 1 billion cumulative contribution to Sri Lanka, which accounts for 60% of IFS's research and development capabilities and 80% of its worldwide product support.

IFS delivered 25% year-on-year Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) growth in 1H 2026, demonstrating that customers are increasingly adopting and scaling Industrial AI across their operations. The results reflect strong revenue growth, customer expansion, and rising demand for AI-powered solutions that deliver measurable outcomes.