In a case study completed with IBM, Futurum Research examined how IBM applied its own AI platform internally through a program called Client Zero, capturing $4.5 billion in annualized productivity savings, more than double its original $2 billion target, across HR, IT, finance, procurement, supply chain, sales, and customer support for roughly 270,000 employees. The study details how IBM’s “eliminate, simplify, automate” methodology ensured AI was applied to redesigned workflows. AI agents including AskHR and AskIT resolved 94% of 16 million annual HR inquiries and cut IT call and chat volume by 74%. A four-layer governance model, chaired biweekly by CEO Arvind Krishna and supported by just 13 staff, sustained momentum. The productivity flywheel of reinvested savings shortened each successive deployment, moving AskIT from concept to production in about 100 days.