Step 9: Investigating AI’s Role in Your Company
Okay, let’s take a deep breath. We’ve got the groundwork laid out—the big picture of AI and its potential impact on your business. But now, it’s time for the real detective work.
What do we mean by investigating AI’s role in your company? Simply put: it's about looking at your current operations, your processes, your people, and asking, “Where could AI fit in—and how?”
It’s important to recognize that not every company is going to find huge opportunities for AI right away. If you’re running a well-oiled machine with tightly defined, traditional processes, you might not be looking at full-scale automation or cutting-edge AI just yet. But that doesn’t mean there’s no role for AI in your future—it’s about finding those subtle touchpoints where AI can either support or enhance what you already do.
So, how do you go about investigating AI’s role? It all starts with a mindset shift. You’re not just looking for the obvious answers—you’re looking for where AI could elevate the value of what you’re already doing. And you need to approach this like a detective, connecting the dots between what you know and what AI can do.
Efficiency Gains: Are there tasks or processes in your company that are repetitive, time-consuming, or prone to human error? These are often the first places to look when considering AI applications like automation tools, chatbots, or even data analysis systems. This could be simple workflows or something like customer service—chatbots that handle routine inquiries can save a ton of time and focus your employees on more complex issues.
Upskilling Opportunities: One of the most exciting areas is where AI intersects with employee development. Rather than seeing AI as a replacement, think about it as a tool that can help your workforce evolve. AI can be used to power learning platforms, personalized employee training, and even predictive career development paths. Employees can be empowered with tools that accelerate their growth—this isn’t about automation replacing jobs, it’s about augmenting and empowering your people.
Business Intelligence and Strategy: AI is also a treasure trove of data. It can uncover patterns, trends, and insights that humans might miss. This could be in areas like market analysis, customer behavior, or even internal operational inefficiencies. What does the data say about your customers, your competitors, your products? This kind of AI insight isn’t just about what’s happening now, but how you can plan your next strategic move.
Innovation Potential: AI is your personal R&D assistant, constantly offering new ways to think about old problems. But you have to dig for it. It might be using AI to design new products, create personalized marketing experiences, or even streamline your supply chain. This isn’t about copying others—it’s about finding your unique AI advantage.
Here’s where the expectation management comes in. Not every company is going to be ready to unleash AI on day one. And that’s okay. The truth is, some businesses are more process-oriented, or perhaps more traditional, and they might not see immediate opportunities for AI beyond chatbots or basic data analytics. But don't let that discourage you.
The goal here is to explore—and that exploration might uncover immediate opportunities or it might point toward longer-term ones. The key is to approach it with curiosity and flexibility, knowing that the AI landscape is always evolving.
So, as you start investigating, ask yourself these questions:
What’s already working? How could AI amplify that?
What’s not working? Could AI fix or streamline any of that?
Where is your industry going? What’s the AI trend in your market?
Remember, you’re not necessarily looking for revolutionary changes right away. It’s more about the small, incremental gains that compound over time.
At this stage, it’s important to recognize that AI isn’t just one thing. It’s a spectrum. Some companies will find themselves gravitating towards chatbots, others to predictive analytics, and still others to more advanced machine learning models or even automation of complex workflows.
It might mean starting small—say, implementing a chatbot to handle customer service. Or it could be using AI-driven platforms to manage workflows or analyze your internal data.
But you might also be looking at bigger, more complex AI solutions in the future—especially if you’re a company with an eye on innovation. Imagine integrating machine learning to predict customer behavior or deploying natural language processing to analyze vast amounts of unstructured data. The point is, you don’t need to tackle it all at once, but you do need to start somewhere.
At this stage, your AI Overwatch team plays a pivotal role. They’ll be your guide, your researchers, your trusted advisors. Their job is to assess the landscape, identify where AI can fit, and provide insights that help you prioritize the best opportunities for your business.
Think of Overwatch as your internal AI R&D department. They’ll help uncover not just where AI fits into your operations, but also how to pilot and test those AI initiatives, ensuring they’re aligned with your business goals and scalable for the long-term.