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For all the excitement around artificial intelligence and other automation technologies, we’ve only seen a fraction of the opportunities automation will create. With all the change still to come, it’s worth considering now the role these technologies will play in your company’s future.
The practical benefits of automation are many: fewer data-entry errors, faster customer service response times, workload automation, better resource management, and the ability to turn legacy data into powerful insights. These functions enable your company to operate more efficiently. They also empower your employees to excel in new and exciting ways.
Chatbots present an interesting example of this. Most chatbots are a rather basic application of artificial intelligence. But recent advances in AI and natural language processing have made chatbots more capable of delivering customer service. If a chatbot can handle basic to mid-level queries, you can reassign human customer service representatives to more in-depth tasks. The growing use of chatbots hints at the capabilities we’ll see with more advanced automation systems in the future.
But automation isn’t a silver bullet that’s going to remake your company overnight. You need to be selective about which tools you integrate and which tasks you leave to employees. Although we’re still in the early stages of the automation revolution, you want to be thinking now about the opportunities and challenges it creates. Given the accelerating pace of innovation of new technologies, it’s critical that you address the implications today so as not to get left behind tomorrow.
The following 5 action steps help prepare your organization for AI and other automation technologies:
1. Evaluate existing processes
Thoroughly examine each department and all the processes within it. You may choose to automate some tasks so your employees can focus on higher-value responsibilities. Hold discussion groups or automation summits within the company to find out which processes you can save time and money on by automating.
Start by asking your employees questions like:
- Which tedious, repeatable tasks eat up large portions of the day?
- If one low-value aspect of their jobs could be offloaded, what would it be?
The answers to these questions will illuminate your company’s areas of greatest opportunity. And with mundane, time-consuming responsibilities removed, you may see a jump in productivity among your newly liberated team members.
2. Encourage continuing employee education
It is now conventional wisdom that continuous learning is crucial to staying relevant…
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