AI's future success depends on the success of its integration 

While AI is taking the workplace by storm, this technology -- especially the AI-enabled smart and automated platform tools -- will not replace the role of employees in the workplace. Instead, AI will become more integrated into everyday workflows as a way to help employees do their jobs more effectively.

For example, generative AI is emerging as a tool that can help with content creation, such as sales pitches, email newsletters and, memos. In applications like this, the technology is already helping to provide users with a better day-to-day and overall experience, which positively contributes to adoption. This in turn has a direct impact on technology investment ROI at scale. 

For IT leaders, CIOs and other executives looking to harness the powers of AI within their companies, there are several factors they need to consider before deploying AI-enabled tools. Firstly, organizations need to identify and select the right tool for their employees’ needs while keeping privacy requirements in mind. If the platform’s main objective does not align with the organizational goals, it will not serve the employees’ or the company’s interests.

This evaluation should be an ongoing process, as an organization’s goals also evolve over time, but leaders cannot lose sight of the ultimate objective: finding a platform that enhances and improves the employee and user experience -- tools should be integrated as seamlessly as possible in the flow of work to avoid context switching, ideally as a layer beneath primary business applications. Analytics can help executive teams evaluate whether a particular platform is proving to be effective, and where users are experiencing challenges or success. 

AI will not be a turnkey, band aid solution. Employees still need training on these tools so they feel supported through the transition and deployment, as well as through the introduction of new features. As more processes and tools become AI enabled, organizations cannot just deploy an AI-enabled tool and hope for the best. They need to make sure their team members have the information they need and can access it when they need it.

For example, does an AI function trigger automatically (proactive), or does it require user intervention (reactive)? As more processes and tools become AI-enabled, there has to be structured mechanism to ensure employees are aware and utilize them in their day-to-day work. Further, not every tool will be the right fit for every organization. This is where data analytics can be helpful, so executive teams can accurately identify the best tools for their individual company’s use cases. 

There are several best practices that can set teams up for success when integrating an AI platform into their operations, including: 

• Customizing in-app training programs: Though most software providers include basic, in-app onboarding flows, if leaders want to truly customize the tool for their company, they need to develop custom training programs for their teams. This allows each employee to become familiar with the tool at their own pace, and in the context of their individual job function. 

• Determining transformation program leaders: Effective change comes from the top. Because AI deployment will be a time-consuming process, executive teams must identify leaders who will be responsible for overseeing the initiative, including the timeline and how value will be measured. 

• Identifying internal advocates: Within each organization, inevitably there will be users of these tools who can advocate for adoption amongst their peers. These users will serve as champions who can evangelize the benefits of the new technology, and work in collaboration with the executive team to develop additional training programs. 

• Creating regular opportunities for training and learning: Providing learning opportunities on-demand, can encourage an open dialogue among employees. In this way, users can share knowledge with each other, as well as feedback with the leadership team to help improve the adoption process and the overall deployment strategy. 

• Monitoring software usage: Adoption of a new tool is an ongoing effort. Because of this, it will be important for leaders to keep an eye on how their team members are using and adapting to the new technology, in addition to the challenges they are experiencing. This also allows leadership teams to gather usage data, so they can implement those learnings for future deployments. Track key factors like latency, privacy, and consistent context-relevance, for example. 

Though the deployment process can be daunting, AI-enabled tools are essential for organizations that wish to remain competitive now and into the future. Among these essential tasks is establishing a more user-centric approach, which can provide more customized experiences for employees and streamline their workflows to get the most out of technology investments. These tools can also increase team efficiency by identifying and helping resolve errors.

Additionally, employees can upskill their current talents by learning to manage the AI platform as it completes their tasks for them. This results in increased productivity for the employees as they are able to take on more responsibilities and allows them to gain new skills in software management. AI tools can also enable users to make better decisions, by analyzing and summarizing data as well as identifying trends and patterns within the application. 

The future of AI in the workplace is a fully integrated environment within software platforms. Users will be able to experience real-time nudges within their software interface, ensuring that they are able to fully and accurately complete their tasks. As a result, organizations that take proactive steps to integrate AI where it can have an impact will see greater productivity and efficiency within their workforce. 

While AI has the potential to help employees become more efficient, its overall success depends on how well an organization deploys the tool and integrates it into operations. With the proper support and buy-in from the executive leadership team, organizations can better harness the power and advantages that AI has to offer, resulting in a positive outcome. 

Image Credit: Wayne Williams

Khadim Batti is CEO and co-founder, Whatfix. Khadim co-founded Whatfix with Vara Kumar in 2014 with the mission of empowering individuals and organizations to freely use and experience the maximum benefits of technology. An entrepreneur at heart with an engineer’s mind, Khadim is also giving back to the start-up community by sharing his passion, knowledge, and mentorship with aspiring talent for over a decade and a half. Khadim also acts as the Grievance Redressal Officer for Whatfix.