It’s hard to overstate the value that AI will create for businesses over the coming two to three years. But while many business leaders see a clear need to incorporate tools more deeply into their business, some remain sceptical of the investment involved.
Early adopters are already seeing tangible benefits from gen AI investment, reporting both lower resource usage and higher productivity in the business units deploying the technology.
70% of Microsoft Copilot users said they were more productive at work, while 64% reported they spent less time processing email, according to Microsoft’s annual Work Trends report.
Given that we’re still in the nascent stages of widespread AI deployment, these are remarkable gains that are providing AI-ready businesses with a distinct edge over their competitors.
As we look to the year ahead, capitalising on the capabilities offered by AI will likely mean the difference between surging ahead or being left behind – and that gap is only getting bigger.
Key benefits of AI
AI offers transformative capabilities that go far beyond optimising what your existing technology stack already does. In fact, these tools are fundamentally changing the way businesses think, act and create value for their customers. Here’s a quick rundown of notable benefits:
- Enhanced decision-making – AI doesn’t just provide more data, it provides better insights. By processing vast datasets at incredible speeds, AI-powered analytics can help you uncover patterns, trends and opportunities that human analysis might miss. From predicting market shifts to spotting inefficiencies in your supply chain, these insights enable smarter, data-driven decisions that reduce guesswork and lead to better outcomes for your business. AI drives the ability to drive value from your data much quicker that you have ever achieved before.
- Operational efficiency – By automating repetitive, time-consuming tasks, AI allows your team to focus on activities that deliver greater value for the company. For example, automating customer inquiries or invoice processing can eliminate hours of manual data entry. The result? Increased productivity, reduced errors and huge cost savings.
- Customer experience – AI-driven personalisation has revolutionised the way organisations engage with customers. From chatbots offering instant support to predictive algorithms that anticipate customer needs, it creates tailored experiences that boost satisfaction and loyalty.
- Innovation and competitive edge – New technologies empower organisations to develop entirely new products, services and business models. Given that the majority of businesses are still in the consideration stage of AI investment, companies already leveraging AI to innovate are creating a significant competitive edge in their industry.
Tips to maximise the ROI of AI for your business
One: benchmark KPIs before you begin
The first step to determining any return you may get from AI investment is taking stock of where you’re currently at. Ask yourself the following questions:
- How much time do employees typically spend on manual processes and admin?
- Are bottlenecks in certain areas causing delays in workflows?
- How quickly can managers generate insightful, ready-to-share reports?
- Are employees satisfied with the digital tools supplied by their employer?
- Are customers pleased with the level of contact support they receive from your business?
Gauging a base level for these sorts of questions will allow you to see a clear, measurable impact of AI deployment from the moment you launch – whether it’s a percentage increase, faster turnaround times or reduction in internal resources.
Two: invest in data quality and infrastructure
AI tools rely on huge volumes of accurate, well-kept data to fulfil their potential. Poor or inconsistent data leads to unreliable insights, which quickly undermines the value of your AI systems.
A robust data management strategy is crucial to guarantee secure storage, seamless integration and secure accessibility for employees at all levels. High-quality infrastructure is the foundation for future growth, while data governance practices should be reviewed on a regular basis to maintain accuracy and consistency across your organisation.
Three: Select the right tools
While Gen AI tools are fuelling the buzz around artificial intelligence in the workplace, it’s important to remember they are not the only AI systems having a transformative impact on modern business operations.
Machine learning platforms, robotic process automation, natural language processing tools and predictive analytics platforms all have strong use cases which span various industries.
Ultimately, the success of your AI initiatives depends on choosing tools that align with your business needs and technical capabilities. The goal isn’t just to adopt the most advanced or talked-about technology; it’s to find the right fit that delivers measurable results and supports the long-term objectives of your business as it scales.
Four: upskill your workforce
The overwhelming position held by most industries is that AI is an accessory to boost human output, not replace it entirely. That means you’ll need to make sure your employees are confident and capable when it comes to using AI tools to support their roles and responsibilities.
Provide targeted training to help your workforce understand new capabilities, interpret insights and integrate them into their daily workflows. This doesn’t just apply to technical teams – employees at all levels should grasp the value AI brings to their roles.
Offering ongoing learning opportunities ensures your team stays up to date with AI advancements and helps overcome resistance to change. The quicker that your workforce start to realise the value the greater the adoption.
Five: Don’t be afraid to experiment
If the worry of potential disruption or downtime is holding you back from considering AI investment, you might be thinking too big too soon.
Start with small, manageable pilot projects to explore how AI can address specific challenges or unlock hidden potential. You can use these experiments to gather feedback, refine your approach and assess feasibility before scaling up any further.
AI tools are a great opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to innovation as a business by empowering teams to test new ideas and applications of AI which could make a huge difference to their productivity and workplace experience.
Looking to get a clear idea of the transformative impact AI investment could have for your organisation?
Get in touch with our expert team to discuss your challenges and find out how we can support your specific needs as a business.
