Using AI To Grow Your Business

How many times do you think you’ve interacted with artificial intelligence over the past couple of days? You may not know, but we bet that the true answer is a lot higher than you think.

Many people still don’t realise that AI has become a part of their lives, or the extent on which they have become reliant on it. Nor do they appreciate the true value of it.

In our day to day lives we engage with AI when we ask Alexa for help, communicate with a chat box, click through on an advert that’s popped up on our screens, and see a connection requests on a social media platform.

AI learns from what we ask it, from the comments we leave online, to the products and services we look at online, and more. It goes deeper than an algorithm as it also has the power to establish how we’re feeling by recognising patterns in our behaviour.

Putting AI on everyone’s radar

In a climate where cost saving is more critical than ever, it’s likely that you’ve looked at streamlining options for every workflow process. The mention of AI is bound to have cropped up in your conversations around efficiencies.

There are numerous reasons why introducing AI into your business makes good sense, but we also understand the reluctance too. Hopefully, after reading this blog, you’ll see that AI technology isn’t something to be feared, it’s crucial for growing your business; to gain a competitive edge, to improve your employee experience, to enhance your recruitment and retention strategies, and to optimise your health and wellbeing initiatives.

What exactly is AI?

AI is software that imitates human behaviours and activities. It continually learns, and in doing so finds ways to improve its performance. It can analyse data, and predict trends and outcomes. It can take on repetitive, laborious tasks. It can answer customer queries and identify areas for development.

You should think of AI as an intelligent tool that has a supporting role, but it’s by no means the star. The stars of the show will always be your employees.

AI as part of your team

Artificial intelligence cannot replace human intelligence, but it can help us make better, well-informed decisions to enable our businesses to grow.

It processes and analyses vast amounts of data in super quick time, faster than any human brain. But it’s up to an employee to use this data to decide on the optimum course of action that reflects the company’s mission and goals.

The automation of roles

AI software can perform some tasks more efficiently than any individual, so it makes sense to identify the processes that are perfect for this use.

Freeing up an employee’s time this way doesn’t mean that they should fear for their job, instead, they should embrace the opportunity that this offers.

With less time spent on repetitive tasks, an individual can take on extra, more meaningful projects that add real value to the organisation.

With more time, an employee can embark on training and development programmes.

Removing repetitive tasks eliminates human error. This removes any anxiety that an employee associates with a particular chore.

An AI expert, Dr Nathan Wilson the co-founder of Nara Logistics, says, “Artificial Intelligence will create more wealth than it destroys,” and anticipates that it will result in more jobs to integrate workflows:

• It may be inevitable that roles shift accordingly to accommodate the benefits of AI, in which case organisations should be forward thinking in their plans:

• They should consider how roles, and the need for specific skillsets, will change.

• They need to think what tasks make a workforce more productive and motivated.

• They should establish what ‘productivity’ means for them in the future.

• They must identify how to tap into the creativity, innovation, and ingenuity of individuals to help the business achieve its goals.

Take care of your workforce to enhance growth

Technology and human experiences are going to exist side by side as software advancements continue to increase. Embracing this combination will help you to focus on the health and wellbeing, and retention or your employees.

The virtual world that we are entering into at a fast pace may make it more challenging for managers to measure productivity as AI is capable of performing many tasks. So, just how are we going to measure output going forward? Maybe we need to start thinking of indicators such as an employee’s happiness?

AI tools can be tailored to empower your workforce to work smarter while fostering their health and wellbeing.

With this in mind:

• Your management and leadership team can use AI technology to help them identity the factors that contribute to burnout.

• Tools can be utilised to analyse communication responses to calculate the causes of disengagement. It has the capability to perform sentiment analysis to ascertain emotional mindsets too.

• You can use AI to support connections by recommending colleagues connect with other individuals.

• It has the power to recognise an individual’s skillset and behaviours and identity which employees are best suited to work together on projects to create a more cohesive work environment.

• AI can be used to promote collaboration by coordinating diaries to make sure key people are in the workplace at the same time.

• The needs of your employees can be established as AI technology can recognise patterns over time. This will help companies become more agile and enable employees to work towards their own development with added purpose.

AI to unleash everyone’s potential

Who knows what the future will bring? All we know is that by embracing tomorrow’s technology we will enhance our futures and bring fulfilment to our present.

It will be possible to create experiences that unites technology, employee engagement, development opportunities, and health and wellbeing strategies in a more meaningful way.

Embracing AI is not about surviving, it’s about thriving.

How we can help you

If you’d like to discuss any of the issues detailed in this blog, get in touch with us today on 0161 941 2426. We’re here to help.