Report: Realising the value of AI in IT and project delivery

Research commissioned by ILX Group among 600 IT and project leaders in UK organisations with 500+ employees explores the pressures shaping business transformation in 2026, the skills that businesses are prioritsing, the impact of AI on everything, and more.

As organisations push to improve efficiency, maintain quality and accelerate digital transformation in 2026, the pressure on testing and QA teams is increasing. Which is why quality assurance is a priority skill for 80% of businesses and software testing is a priority for 70%.

The findings also point to a growing challenge: technical debt. ILX research reveals that six in ten businesses say it is poorly understood outside IT, while two thirds recognise that transformation activity can increase technical debt if it is not managed effectively.

For testing and QA leaders, this creates a clear business imperative. Weak quality controls, repeated rework, legacy issues and short-term fixes can all slow delivery, increase risk and make future change more difficult. Stronger quality assurance and software testing practices can help teams identify issues earlier, protect standards and give delivery teams greater confidence in each release.

Download the report to read more about the challenges facing businesses and the practical steps that can be taken to try and tackle them.