Adam Honig is the CEO and cofounder of Spiro.AI and is passionate about helping companies grow using artificial intelligence.
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Companies have been investing in artificial intelligence (AI) technology for the shop floor in order to make their products better. For some reason, it’s been a bit of a struggle to do the same thing for the front office. But, I definitely see the tide turning now.
AI has proven to be one of the most disruptive and transformative innovations in the history of technology across so many sectors. As such, AI in manufacturing can enable digital transformation, which can expand operations in the factory, but what about for the sales team? Or for the warehouse? The same way that AI can take people, data, and processes and create efficiency in the factory, it can also do the same in the front office.
Often, companies hesitate with adopting AI. They think AI is too big or broad to leverage and don’t know where to start. They worry about what AI will take away—such as jobs or our ability to make decisions—instead of thinking, “How can we be more effective? How can we become more skillful? How can we help our team be more productive?”
AI’s Reach And Its Limits
Let me tell you what AI can’t do. It can’t be as creative as a human—although this is maybe changing with GPT-3 technology. It can’t be as collaborative as people. It can’t think critically or show empathy. It can’t be a leader like we know a human could.
What AI can do is identify trends from complex, disconnected data so you can understand where to focus. It can reduce human error and make data accessible 24/7. It keeps you connected to your customers. Plus, it can pinpoint activities that haven’t happened but should happen, based on your specific processes.
For example, AI can recognize when your account managers should schedule a customer visit to maintain a relationship. It can correlate data from every business app you use, such as giving full-order visibility from an ERP. It can create a more personalized customer experience that boosts satisfaction. It can alert you when there are fulfillment delays and proactively prompt you to let your customers know. AI can handle so many things, the things that a front office has been doing manually or missed—until now. The number of applications for this type of technology are truly limitless.
By managing repetitive tasks across an organization with AI technology, your employees can focus on more important, time-sensitive and value-added activities that are far more impactful to your business. Response times to prospects and customers will be much faster. AI automation expands your operations. You can manage your sales pipeline as well as offer more services. Information is accessible in real time. Predictive analytics streamline inventory planning.
Fostering A Healthy Relationship Between Employee And AI
While AI technology has advanced and can be impactful to businesses, it can still be challenging to get employees to embrace using it. It’s important to make sure employees understand the value and importance of AI and that they are comfortable using it in meaningful ways. To drive adoption, create a culture of learning and experimentation. Encourage employees to experiment with existing AI tools and systems, and give them room to try new approaches.
At the same time, continually educate your employees on both the benefits of AI and the potential risks. By fostering this relationship, you can empower your employees to leverage AI to do tasks that are time-consuming, albeit necessary, and spotlight areas to focus on. Perhaps the greatest advantage of AI technology is it gives humans the time and information needed to build stronger customer relationships and improve customer experiences.
Adopting AI can quickly impact your ability to grow your company and rapidly improve the efficiency of your people, data and processes. Focus on your specific use cases and you’ll better understand where to start. This digital innovation could change your business landscape, streamlining your entire organization and not just your production.
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