It’s undeniable that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay. In a previous blog, we explained that more than 80% OF C- level executives are looking to adopt AI.
Implementing AI: Where do you start?
It’s undeniable that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay. In a previous blog, we explained that more than 80% OF C- level executives are looking to adopt AI.
Gartner, a research and advisory company, has gone further in proving that the migration to AI is well and truly on. Two recent reports they published found that:
● 37% of organisations have implemented AI; and
● By the year 2021, 80% of emerging technologies will have AI foundations.
If you’re a Chief Information Officer (CIO) and you haven’t learnt the power of AI technology, it’s imperative that you do. But learning about it and implementing AI within your organisation are two very different things.
So, here’s how you can start to implement AI, understand what skill sets you to need internally and how to measure the success of your AI initiatives.
Where to start with AI
Once a CIO has seen how AI can transform teams and make IT service desks more functional, their eyes light up. Often this means they will try to introduce as many AI technologies as possible at once, but this can be disastrous.
If AI goes wrong or doesn’t work properly (which rarely happens), it will leave the wider company fearful of any new AI initiatives. That’s’ why we suggest CIOs do three things when implementing AI.
Start slow
Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither should your AI technologies.
If you start slow, you won’t be inundated with requests for demonstrations from staff who want more information about your new AI technologies before they feel comfortable using it.
Likewise, you won’t be swamped with IT tickets if things go wrong when implementing AI across your entire IT service desk.
While the AI space is fast-paced, it doesn’t mean you have to adopt everything it offers the second you learn about it.
Choose your top five service desk calls
Part of starting slow is to only choose a select few areas of your IT service desk that will most effectively benefit from AI automation and that ease the stress your teams experiences.
That’s why we suggest identifying the five most common calls your IT service desk receives and begin the automation process with there.
While your situation will be unique, there’s a high chance IT staff experience several calls per day to reset passwords, reconnect VPN’s and grant access to online forms and folders.
Whatever issue regularly takes your team members away from focussing on the bigger picture, is a candidate to be automated.
Keep testing AI
To get effective AI technology running across your company, it needs to operate as smoothly as possible.
The true test of automation is how functional it is to use by staff members who’ve never experienced it before. You don’t want an automated process to reset a password that’s as difficult to complete as a Rubix cube.
Servicely can be working within IT service desks in as little as one day. So the logical next step is to start operating it, monitor it and consistently test it before moving on to other AI technologies.
Generally, it’s not AI that causes problems but staff trying to use it incorrectly. As a CIO, you must always ensure any new AI technology that’s been introduced is tested (and is working productively) before moving on to set up other automation measures.
Internal skill sets needed for AI
While upskilling is always an advantage, AI like Servicely doesn’t require teams to be up-skilled or to bring onboard new staff members with a higher degree or more experience.
We’re able to work with existing teams to leverage any experience within an organisation and given our AI technology is adaptive, it will learn and remember processes over time. That means when IT staff members leave, their ‘tribal knowledge’ (or undocumented knowledge) doesn’t go with them.
A perceived lack of AI skillset internally is not a reason to avoid automation. In fact, if you do wait until you identify a suitably skilled AI worker you’ll be waiting a while.
How to measure AI success
Implementing AI slowly will not result in a ‘eureka’ moment, but you will be able to see its advantages before long if you set realistic Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Starting in the first month, plan to increase automation incrementally. As an example, in June plan to automate five% of calls into your IT service desk and in July aim for 10%.
If you were to commit to this and achieve it, by the end of this year 35% of calls would be automated. When the time comes to prove Return of Investment (ROI), you’ll have the data to show month-on-month automation has increased.
Employee experience is also a meter to judge automation by. If AI has enabled staff members to focus on hitting the KPIs of their role and reduced the annoyance of dealing with technical issues, the introduction of AI has been successful.
The speed at which companies are taking up AI technology seems to increase daily. Companies right across the globe are now focussed on how they can implement AI automation to increase productivity, lower stress and improve employee/customer experience.
The best way to achieve this is to introduce AI slowly and initially only automate what your IT service desk really needs help to complete (like staff password resets). From here, AI measures can be consistently tested and increased month-by-month until your organisation is operating a functional and seamless automation process.
Reach out to us info@servicely.ai to find out how you can implement AI technology to increase productivity and reduce the stress your IT service desk staff experience.