This week in B2B content: agent deployments, hidden buyers, and the 4.1% tax on late payments
Nine reports and studies from this week that are worth knowing about if you work in B2B — from Siemens routing 2,500 leads through AI agents to the finding that late payments cost companies 4.1% of revenue.
Siemens + Salesforce Agentforce
Siemens deploys AI agents across 132 countries to handle 100% of inbound leads (2,500+/month). Two-agent architecture: one for outreach, one for qualification. The Teamcenter digital twin integration means agents can answer engineering-grade questions during quoting.
Read More: Siemens + Salesforce AgentforceLinkedIn + Edelman "Hidden Buyers"
Over 40% of B2B deals stall due to stakeholders the sales team never meets. These hidden influencers (finance, legal, procurement) spend 63% of their time reading thought leadership, and 95% say quality content makes them more open to sales.
Read More: LinkedIn + Edelman "Hidden Buyers"AI Agents in Enterprise: EY, Morgan Stanley
Production deployments at scale. EY's agentic operating system spans 300,000+ professionals. Morgan Stanley's DevGen.AI reviewed 9 million lines of legacy code and reclaimed 280,000 developer hours. Their meeting-intelligence agent hit 98% voluntary adoption.
Read More: AI Agents in Enterprise: EY, Morgan StanleyActivate Demand Gen Report (10th Annual)
212 B2B marketers surveyed. Budgets returning, AI moving deeper into the buyer journey, and shifting signals about what sales teams need before engaging accounts.
Read More: Activate Demand Gen Report (10th Annual)Forrester: Partner Programs Are 6.4 Years Old on Average
Nearly half of B2B partner programs are not profitable by tier. Two-thirds of organizations plan to rearchitect within 12 months. The old transactional model does not fit diverse modern partner types.
Read More: Forrester: Partner Programs Are 6.4 Years Old on AverageLate B2B Payments Tax 4.1% of Revenue
Growth companies report that chasing overdue payments costs 4.1% of revenue. Top performers treat working capital proactively — 80% use it for planned growth rather than emergencies.
Read More: Late B2B Payments Tax 4.1% of Revenue1,001 Real-World Gen AI Use Cases
Expanded collection including government and institutional deployments: job matching, service eligibility, operational efficiency. Patterns transferable to commercial B2B.
Read More: 1,001 Real-World Gen AI Use Cases85% of Japanese B2B Buyers Reference AI
724 decision-makers surveyed. AI search is mainstream in vendor selection, but brand salience still dominates initial consideration. You need both: awareness to get in the set, and structured content that survives AI summarization.
Read More: 85% of Japanese B2B Buyers Reference AIForbes: 13 Cross-Industry Partnerships
Healthcare + financial services for holistic well-being. Industrial weighing + packaging + AI for predictive quality. The pattern: borrow proven approaches across sectors rather than building from scratch.
Read More: Forbes: 13 Cross-Industry Partnerships