If there’s anything the last year has shown, it’s that AI and automation are the future. And these powerful technologies are not just for large companies; small businesses can leverage the new products on the market to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and increase productivity.
In a previous article, we explored what small businesses need to know about AI and automation. While the two technologies differ in their capabilities, both can help your small business in a range of ways, including improving hiring, automating operations, enhancing marketing, and tightening cybersecurity.
Now, we’re exploring the next steps for growing companies that are interested in embracing the opportunities that these innovations offer. Read the tips below for more on integrating automation and AI for small businesses.
What’s the difference between AI and automation?
While AI and automation share similarities in purpose and function, there are a few key differences to keep in mind.
Automation refers to technologies and software that can complete tasks that do not change over time—think repetitive tasks like recording data. Small business automation could include software programs that send automatic email reminders to clients, or robots that complete simple manual tasks.
On the other hand, Artificial intelligence (AI) describes technologies that are specially designed to perform complex tasks involving sophisticated decision-making. In the past, these jobs could only be completed by people. AI for small businesses could include programs such as a chatbot to respond to customers, or software that predicts potential mechanical problems on a factory floor.
How Should Small Businesses Integrate AI And Automation?
Ready to take the leap? Integrating automation and AI for small businesses is a process that is unique to every company. However, the following steps can be a useful guideline for the adoption of new technologies.
Identify pain points
The first step for any small business is to understand what is needed. Conduct an audit of your operations to identify inefficiencies, bottle necks, duplications, and any other pain points that are holding up processes. Once you know where the problems are, you’re ready to pursue solutions.
Start small
There’s no need to revamp the entire business at once. Not only is it an expensive strategy, but it generates a significant amount of change all at once for your team and customers.
Instead, make changes incrementally, starting with small issues that could be easily remedied with simple automation or a basic AI program. The successful integration of these initial solutions will build confidence and keep the stakes low while your business adjusts to the new tech.
Learn as much as you can
Continuous learning is essential to the successful adoption of AI and automation. The tech landscape around these innovations is changing rapidly, and it’s critical to stay on top of the latest news to make sure you know what’s new, what’s working, and what’s useful for your industry.
It can be time consuming to keep up with tech news, but it pays off. Your team will appreciate being equipped with the top tools on the market that are specially designed to help them work smarter.
Give it time
Change doesn’t happen overnight, even with leading-edge tech. After bringing in new AI or automation tools, give them time to work before expecting substantial results.
This waiting period is necessary to give your people time to learn how best to use the technologies and integrate them effectively into their workflows. This is often an iterative process, requiring many tries, followed by analysis of the results to understand how it’s working. Every company is different and will use the tech in unique ways.
Manage expectations
While tech innovations are changing the game for small businesses, they’re also only a piece of the puzzle. Make sure your team goes into this process with realistic expectations about what current AI and automation tools are capable of and what they cannot yet do.
By managing expectations, you’ll ensure that your people understand the role of the tools and their limitations, allowing them to more effectively implement solutions into their workflows.
Integrate tools responsibly
As with any new technology, it’s vital to understand potential risks and implement the tools responsibly. Whenever you automate a task or add AI processes, ensure that your team is thinking about issues such as mitigating bias, monitoring quality, protecting privacy, and maintaining accountability.
Establishing guidelines for ethical usage, transparency, and accountability is a critical first step. By codifying standard principles and practices, you will establish the necessary checks and balances to keep the tools on track and reduce risk.
The bottom line
AI and automation are not only for large companies. Small businesses can take advantage of these technologies to boost productivity, improve the customer experience, and make their businesses run more smoothly.
As we enter the age of AI, small businesses have the chance to get ahead of competitors by adopting leading-edge tech to improve efficiency and productivity. The key? Following a solid, iterative process to find the right solutions for your team.
Remember to start small, focus on pain points, and learn as much as possible about the current state of the technologies available. Then, be sure to establish strong policies and practices, manage expectations, and give the tools time to generate results.
With the right strategy, every small business can reap the benefits of the latest technological wave sweeping the global economy.
