Zombie projects are initiatives that quietly trap capital while delivering little or no value. Possibly over half of projects are zombies and can reduce enterprise shareholder value by more than 30%. Despite growing investments in AI, many organizations still struggle to detect these initiatives early. Even then, despite early detection of a zombie project, traditional portfolio management practices, create friction that slows decision making and action. This undermines strategic agility and traps investment that could otherwise be redirected to more promising opportunities.

This session introduces a 4-level maturity model that explains why AI alone isn’t enough—and how Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) clears the path to smarter, faster investment. You’ll learn how to spot trapped capital, eliminate friction, and build a learning portfolio that adapts in real time.

Key Takeaways

Identify the four levels of AI-powered portfolio maturity—and why most organizations stall at level 1.

Recognize how zombie projects thrive in the gaps between insight and action.

Understand why AI without LPM is often starved of the data it needs.

Learn how LPM enables faster, frictionless investment shifts.

Take away patterns for building an adaptive, learning-driven portfolio.