Implementing AI in your company? 5 tips for success.
So, you’ve decided to start implementing AI in your company or are seriously thinking about it? First of all, congratulations?. Second of all, it’s time to start looking at how you are going to approach this endeavor and the areas you should pay attention to.
In this article, we’ll look at what you can do to make things as smooth as possible and ensure that you start on the right foot.
Familiarize yourself with AI
This is a step a lot of business owners or CEO’s fail to take into account. We’re not saying you should learn how to develop and implement artificial solutions – although who knows, you might get the bug – but it’s essential to understand what AI is and what it can and can’t do.
Although you might not be in charge of the actual implementation of the project, knowing the terminology used, use cases, or how machine learning and data science activities look can help both you and your organization become better at using Artificial Intelligence solutions. It can also give more clarity allowing you to identify which particular business process is primed for AI use and ensure that you avoid false expectations.
Below are some free online resources you can start with:
Data
We’ve written before about the importance of data in any AI project. If the data is accurate and rich, then AI can help you make the right decisions.
Organizations, whether big or small, have tons of data. However, it is usually incomplete, siloed, or inaccurate – names might be wrong, phone numbers can appear in a variety of formats, part of the data can be in a CRM solution, and the other part in an excel file on a shared folder and so on. This can hurt the efficiency and results of your AI project.
Some companies create taskforces responsible for cleaning up the data before starting this process, while others go with an AI solution that also has a data cleanliness function. The important thing is to have data with no incoherent information, that has high accuracy and contains the info you need to make your algorithms work.
Internal capabilities
Hardware, software, and your employees’ skills. AI can be an advantage, but you need to make sure that you have the infrastructure to support it. This can mean storage capabilities for all the data that exists, and the data generated, security measures that need to be in place to protect it. Also, processes that need to be developed or changed, hardware that needs to be bought, or checking to see whether the AI solution can work with all the internal tools you have.
Ticking the items on this list doesn’t necessarily mean a hole in your annual budget, especially if you take them into account from the very beginning.
Also, think about your employees. Do you need to hire new people to handle these responsibilities or can you train your existing workforce?
Employee buy-in
Companies can get so wrapped up in implementing AI solutions that they sometimes forget about the people who will ultimately use them. Let’s face it, while AI is seen as a positive influence from a business point of view, employees may see it as a potential threat – just look at the number of articles talking about how AI will replace millions of jobs. It’s normal for people to have a negative view of Artificial Intelligence and refuse to work with it.
That’s why you also need a robust change management plan in place. Focus on building digital skills and showing your employees how AI will help improve the way they work by taking care of the mundane tasks. Every single role has them, and with AI solutions you allow your employees to focus more on the critical responsibilities that are more meaningful and add to the bottom line.
Choose the right partner
Depending on your organization’s size, budget, and internal capabilities, there are four major options to consider when it comes to developing your AI solutions. You can grow it internally, use your internal resources and outside consultants, acquire a ready-made solution, or outsource the whole process.
Even if you decide to build it on your own, it doesn’t hurt to consult with some specialists before you start the project. Keep in mind that developing AI solutions is quite different from developing software solutions. You need a particular set of skills and expertise.
Are you interested in finding out more about implementing AI in your organization? Click the button below and book a free 60-minute session with one of our consultants.