Demystifying AI to Harness its Power

Sign up for The Key Point of View, our weekly newsletter of blogs and podcasts!

Artificial intelligence (AI) has generated a lot of buzz everywhere. It has sparked discussions regarding task management, content workflow and modernization, as well as general automation. There is no doubt that generative AI is impacting a variety of areas within organizations but, for some, it still seems “not ready for prime time.” As it turns out, though, many principles of AI have been around for decades.

For example, businesses have been digitizing documents and making them searchable and editable using optical character recognition (OCR) technology. In this case, AI can be utilized to train the OCR model, improving accuracy and error detection. AI technology is responsible for the ability to extract text from photos and recognize specific text. The intelligent document processing (IDP) systems we see today are built on these technologies. 

Where to Get Started

AI is on a path to change how businesses and its employees operate. AI is also becoming much more accessible to enterprises of all sizes. There are a variety of AI-powered tools and platforms available for automating processes, analyzing data, and developing predictive models that any company can use to improve their business. Furthermore, there are a variety of tools to assist people to learn more about AI and how to use it.

The daily use cases for AI grow as people become more skilled at using generative AI. This type can be used to generate new content, including writing, graphics, or music. Generative AI learns patterns and structure from training data and can generate similar new content that can be applied to blogs, social media, marketing content, and sales materials. From here, we can only imagine the possibility for producing art, music, and computer code. AI can help unleash creativity, productivity, and innovation by offering professional tools that were once relegated to proficient experts.

Below is a list of simple easy to use generative AI tools:

• ChatGPT
• Dall-E
• Google Bard

What’s It All Mean?

In the office equipment industry, we will continue to see AI evolve and reinvent itself. AI-powered content and document workflow solutions using OCR, machine learning (ML), and natural language processing (NLP) will continue to advance and modernize. Security solutions will benefit from AI to detect and mitigate fraud, malware, and intrusions. Improvements to security postures can help to better protect an organization’s data, devices, people, and IT infrastructure.

Understanding customer needs and pain points, and tailoring services that include AI, will complement existing IT service offerings. Solution and service selling is an opportunity to help your customers achieve specific business outcomes.

Selling AI services to organizations requires a strategic approach:

• Discover, investigate, and understand your customer's individual pain points and issues. Determine whether aspects of their operations—such as customer service, process automation, data analysis, marketing, and social media—can benefit from AI solutions.
• Clearly articulate the benefits and value that your AI services can deliver to your core set of SMB customers. Present AI as a time-saver, creative booster, a driver of efficiency, cost reducer, a better customer experience, or to gain a competitive edge.
• Your customers may know nothing about AI. Spend time to educate them about its capabilities, clear up confusion, demonstrate its power, and explain how it can be applied to their specific business needs.
• Start with a demo and move to a pilot or “proof of concept” implementation. It can be challenging if the customer has limitations in resources, so offer scaled-down or modular solutions that can be easily adopted and provide immediate benefits. Allow them to see the value of AI without significant upfront investments and scalability.
• Customize your AI services to match your customers' individual demands and budgets. Smaller enterprises frequently demand cost-effective, low management, and user-friendly solutions that can be quickly adopted. To meet their needs, consider offering flexible pricing options, subscription-based services, or packaged solutions.
• When it comes to AI services, everyone is concerned about security and privacy. Assure customers of data and device protection procedures, how they meet regulatory compliance, and how vulnerable users can be. Be transparent, build trust, as well as highlight any or all certifications or security protocols that are used.
• Be prepared to commit for the long term. Customers of all sizes value long-term, consistent relationships. Engage with your customers on a regular basis, provide continuing assistance, and keep them up to date on the newest AI breakthroughs relevant to their organization. As their needs change, provide more services, improvements, or consulting.

These are just a few examples of how to approach businesses and how to leverage AI to enhance their operations. The specific approaches and use cases will depend on the industry, needs, and goals of each business.  Remember, selling AI services to organizations requires patience, clear communication, and a focus on tangible results. By understanding customers’ unique needs, providing education and support, and demonstrating a clear ROI, you can increase the likelihood of successfully selling AI services to customers of all sizes.

Log in to the InfoCenter to view research on artificial intelligence and smart technology through our Office CompleteView Advisory Service. If you’re not a subscriber, contact us for more info by clicking here.