Ready for take-off: Why it’s the perfect time for your business to start embracing AI
Australian enterprises that don’t move into AI adoption mode risk being left behind in 2025, Customer Science Group CEO Todd Gorsuch (pictured) writes.
Has your executive team spent the past 12 months watching on and wondering what, if anything, you should be doing with the game changing technology that is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
If you answered in the affirmative, you’re far from alone. Since the launch of ChatGPT two years ago, AI has been touted as the ne plus ultra of business trends – a seismic disruptor that will up-end industries and occupations the world over, making millions of traditional jobs and roles obsolete.
But while there’s been endless headlines, airtime and digital column inches devoted to commentary about where this transformative technology will take us – and how quickly – many Australian businesses have been slow to act.
Those that have embraced AI wholesale, developing business cases for its adoption and executing across the enterprise, are in the minority. The slower moving majority has sat on its collective hands, watching and waiting for the right time to dip a toe in the water.
Watching and waiting
As strategies go, this may not have been a bad one. AI has continued to evolve at breakneck pace over the past 12 months. Tools and resources have matured rapidly, to the point that many, if not most, off-the-shelf programs and platforms have some form of AI embedded in them.
That means getting started on your AI journey can now be as easy as finding a simple use case and switching on a feature; something that’s well within the capacity of the average Australian mid-sized enterprise.
Meanwhile, businesses in the vanguard have done the hard yards in terms of developing policies and best practice for AI implementations. Many of the lessons they’ve learnt around risk assessment, change management and general governance have been documented and publicised. Taking them on board can mean a faster, safer and easier transition for slower moving organisations following in their footsteps.
Time to act
But, while holding back may not have served your business too badly thus far, continuing to do so for very much longer is likely to prove a risky move.
All signs suggest 2025 will be the year of mass adoption, when enterprises across the board start to get serious about turning AI intentions into reality.
Those looking for swift, sure wins will do well to focus their efforts on the customer experience realm; utilising AI to provide faster, better and more flexible service to their customers and prospects.
Indeed, in 2025 we ‘re now seeing the emergence of new models and proven work from consulting and professional services firms that radically simplifies and makes safe the transition. AI accelerator programs exist that can build and establish AI in an organisation with prebuilt IP and methods that can then be kept in-house.
In addition, self-funded AI programs are emerging that use the gains from AI and automation project management offices to fund implementation of the technology increasing alignment to business value while delivering a sustainable financial return.
Moreover, new rapid low-cost assessment models can identify the right AI and automation use cases, technology and implementation model for your organisation. This support means implementation is more certain and carries lower risk.
Supercharging your customer experience with AI
Compelling use cases abound. In contact centre settings, for example, having an AI-powered platform at their fingertips means agents don’t have to spend nearly as long searching for answers while customers wait impatiently on hold. Enquiries can be resolved without escalation to a supervisor far more frequently – an outcome that generally leads to better service at a lower cost and the benefits of higher customer satisfaction ratings and improved employee retention rates.
And then there’s the opportunity to deploy intelligent virtual assistants powered by conversational AI to deliver flexible, responsive service, in business hours and all around the clock. If yours is a retail business, you may put them to work checking stock levels and providing customers with details about product features and availability. There’s also the option to get them working for you on the marketing front – driving traffic to your web site and creating personalised offers that are in line with buyers’ purchasing preferences.
In the healthcare sector, meanwhile, we’re seeing AI-driven automated patient navigation, communication and services. One simple yet high value example is automating invoicing and clinical coding that helps practices and providers create accurate, compliant revenue collection for complex treatments and services. Not having to query bills and chase up discrepancies is a win for patients and practitioners both.
If you’re unsure how best to deploy this transformative technology in your enterprise, working with a specialist consultancy can de-risk the process and the handover of IP to ensure you get the maximum bang for your AI buck.
Towards a smarter future
AI is here to stay and Australian organisations that don’t find ways to harness its power will all too soon find themselves at a disadvantage to faster moving competitors.
If you’re serious about ensuring this doesn’t happen to your business in 2025, the customer experience sphere is an excellent place to begin your AI-powered automation journey.
