There's a lot of AI buzz and businesses everywhere are feeling the pressure to integrate this exciting technology. However, amidst all the hype, there's a need to clarify a few things. First off, AI isn't a panacea for all business woes. It needs a foundation of sound data and processes to be effective and it's intended to assist rather than replace human decision-making.

The power of automated workflows

A major component that tends to get lost in the AI conversation is the power of business workflows. These are the cogs and gears that keep an enterprise running smoothly, but they're often overlooked. Consider a scenario where a company needs to manufacture a specialty item for a valuable client that isn't on the standard price list. How can you effectively orchestrate such a process that is outside of the norm? Different decisions will need to be made. Other concurrent processes will need to be modified or stalled. How do you keep everyone informed in such a situation to make sure you provide superior customer service at the lowest costs?

Your people cause process delays

Now, let's extrapolate this to the reality of remote work and multiple stakeholders in a process. Many times the complexities of business operations across time zones or business units can lead to inefficiencies, especially if the responsibility of coordination falls on a single individual. Moving well-orchestrated workflows to software could greatly simplify these processes, allowing you to keep your global operations moving at machine speed.

In the absence of well-orchestrated workflows, we run into several issues. For instance, if someone is on vacation, who steps in to approve and follow up on their tasks? Without a well-defined process, tasks could easily fall through the cracks, leading to delays and errors.

Automating communication offers immediate ROI

But there's a solution within your reach - intelligent automation. Intelligent automation offers immediate ROI by identifying areas within business processes that can be streamlined. By automating tasks, you set the stage for AI integration, thereby further enhancing your operations. There's a wealth of evidence supporting the ROI of automation, from case studies to quantitative data. This prepares you for your iterative AI journey and paves the way for a smarter, more productive workforce.

You need good processes and data for AI

To sum it all up, while AI is undoubtedly a game-changer, we need to keep our focus on the big picture. AI can help us make better decisions based on good data, but the underlying processes that service our customers and employees are just as crucial. We can make immediate impacts by taking the time spent on emailing and follow-ups and transferring them to software. By focusing on orchestrating our workflows, we can improve our efficiency, better serve our customers and employees, and make room for transformative technologies like AI.

More at krista.ai