AI and Your Business

I understand there’s a lot of chatter about AI (Artificial Intelligence) these days, and it can be downright terrifying. You hear about robots taking over jobs, and it makes you worry about your livelihood, the future of the economy, and how you’ll support your family. But here’s the reality: we’ve been using AI to our benefit for quite some time now. Think about it—do you have predictive text set up on your iPhone? That’s AI in action, understanding your typing patterns and helping you write faster. Or consider those chatbots you see on help tabs online. They filter through vast amounts of information to pull out the bits that require human intervention, saving time and providing better service than ever before.

The problem is, if you don’t embrace AI, you risk getting left behind. This could lead to discouraging levels of customer satisfaction and a decline in your business. To ensure the effectiveness of AI, it is crucial to have everything prepared. If your business lacks a well-defined plan, established processes, and accessible procedures that your team can easily implement and follow, then it is like driving with a flat tyre—you won’t get far. But that’s where we can help. I always tell my clients, “If you can write the instructions, automation and AI can be trained to perform the task.” For this reason, our primary focus is to establish a clear outline of processes and job responsibilities for the business. You can’t run before you walk, so this must be done before implementing any change management into your business.

Let me share a story about a client I worked with recently. Her business was growing rapidly, but without a clear process and business plan, they weren’t set up to sustain that growth. Our approach involved streamlining the business to establish a clear and direct path for employees and clients to access relevant information. The first step was to eradicate their paper flow. It simply doesn’t work anymore; it’s unsustainable for growth and accuracy of record-keeping.

We built an internal portal to capture all their data by identifying what information they needed access to quickly. Next, we converted all existing data to electronic records and saved it to a drive folder on the internal portal. A master record file was then created, which received direct input from the electronic forms employees used to capture data. After this, we conducted an audit on the existing files to ensure they all contained the relevant data as outlined in the form submission. Once these steps were completed, the drive form was linked to employees for access in the field, compatible with mobile or fixed computer devices. To complete this process, we leveraged existing technology within the business, so no additional expenses were incurred, including employee training, since they already knew how to use the software!

By taking these steps, we created a solid foundation for AI and automation to support and assist the business. AI operates similarly to the systems you initially created—it will repeatedly perform the same task without intervention, eliminating distractions that humans encounter and reducing the likelihood of inaccurate data or input.

The AI tools we implemented could now seamlessly integrate with their digital systems, providing real-time data analysis and automating routine tasks. Employees no longer had to waste time searching for information or handling repetitive tasks. Instead, they could focus on higher-value activities that required human creativity and problem-solving skills.

The transformation was remarkable. Customer satisfaction levels rose because inquiries and issues were resolved faster and more accurately. Internal communication improved as employees had easy access to up-to-date information. The overall productivity of the business increased, and the client could focus on strategic growth initiatives rather than being bogged down by day-to-day operations.

The key takeaway here is that embracing AI doesn’t mean relinquishing control of your business to robots. It means enhancing your operations with tools that can perform repetitive tasks, analyse data more quickly and accurately, and provide insights that drive better decision-making. AI should be viewed as a valuable assistant, not a replacement.

To give you another perspective, let’s talk about predictive text on your phone again. It works because it has been trained on countless examples of human typing behaviours. Similarly, for AI to be effective in your business, it needs to be trained on your specific processes and workflows. This training ensures that AI can perform tasks consistently and accurately, providing reliable support to your team.

Imagine trying to automate a task without understanding every step involved. You’d end up with a system that might work sometimes but fail disastrously at others. The importance of having detailed processes and job responsibilities is clear from this. When you have these mapped out, you can train AI to perform tasks accurately.

Think about customer service chatbots. These AI tools handle a large volume of inquiries, filtering out those that require simple answers and forwarding the more complex issues to human agents. This not only saves time but ensures that customers receive quick and accurate responses. The efficiency and reliability of AI in this context depend heavily on the quality of the underlying processes and data.

Now, let’s think about the financial advantages. With AI handling routine tasks, you save on full-time employee costs, including benefits and office space. The flexibility to use AI tools on an as-needed basis means you’re only paying for the work you need, when you need it. This cost-efficiency can significantly impact your bottom line, allowing you to invest in other critical areas of your business.

AI can enhance productivity in ways that go beyond simple automation. For instance, AI-powered analytics can provide real-time insights into your business operations, helping you identify trends and make informed decisions quickly. This kind of advantage can be essential for staying ahead in a competitive market.

Even though AI can intimidate, it is an indispensable tool for small businesses that want to stay competitive. The key to successful AI implementation lies in preparation. Ensure you have well-defined processes and a clear plan. Once this foundation is in place, AI can be seamlessly integrated to handle routine tasks, improve efficiency, and support business growth.

Remember, AI isn’t here to take your job—it’s here to make your job easier. Embrace it, and watch your business grow.

So, if you’re ready to take the leap into AI, let’s start with the basics. Our team will support you in streamlining your processes, clarifying job responsibilities, and then we can explore how AI can be incorporated into your business. By collaborating, we can design a comprehensive strategy that not only incorporates AI but also adds value to your business, ensuring continued success. Reach out to us, and let’s make the future less daunting and more exciting with AI.