{"id":13124,"date":"2024-03-18T06:10:31","date_gmt":"2024-03-18T06:10:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=13124"},"modified":"2024-03-18T06:10:32","modified_gmt":"2024-03-18T06:10:32","slug":"ai-implementation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/in\/blog\/ai-implementation\/","title":{"rendered":"What Should Be First on Your Company\u2019s AI Agenda?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n


For anyone who has seen films like Star Wars, Metropolis, or, more recently, TikToks of Beyonc\u00e9\u2019s latest tour<\/a>, the concepts of robots, cyborgs, and other sentient machines have been around since at least the turn of the 20th century. While these pieces capture both the most fantastic and menacing ideas about this kind of technology, reality has been catching up since the 1950s, when Alan Turing published his paper, \u201cComputing Machinery and Intelligence.\u201d<\/a> Artificial intelligence isn\u2019t new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is new, though, is how accessible AI is. When Turing first asked, \u201cCan machines think?\u201d he was met with so many barriers, including computing limitations and cost. A better question might have been, \u201cCan we even afford to find out?\u201d Now, there\u2019s been such an explosion of AI offerings that 94% of business leaders see AI as essential<\/a> to their work. But, with better access and more choices, AI implementation has become less an abstract vision for the future, and more akin to a New Year\u2019s resolution \u2014 you know you should do it, if only you could get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which brings us to today\u2019s big question: How can<\/em> your business get started on an AI journey, and in a way that reduces costs, increases value for your customers, protects your data, and doesn\u2019t leave your people behind?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where to start your AI implementation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In my role leading Salesforce Professional Services, I speak with business leaders around the world who are facing this challenging question. AI in its current state, with its myriad uses and capabilities, lends itself perfectly to my team\u2019s advisory work. When AI can be used for anything from sales to customer service to marketing to backend code development, choosing where to start can feel overwhelming. So, before we help you build the roadmaps for your AI journeys, step one is finding what fits your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Don\u2019<\/strong>t go it alone \u2014 we can help<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Salesforce Professional Services offers teams of trusted advisers providing specialised solutions for businesses in need. Advisers help you align on a vision, establish a tailored roadmap, and get faster value.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\tMeet your team<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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Where will AI add value?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A journey needs a destination. From that outcome, we calculate a roadmap using the best route to get to a successful AI implementation. This means thinking about the end goal first (the business version of \u201cmanifesting\u201d). Typically, goals for AI implementation fall into one of three categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Increasing revenue <\/strong>where AI unveils new market opportunities and streamlines operations <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Reducing costs <\/strong>where, through automation and process optimisation, AI reduces operational costs and enhances overall business efficiency<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Driving customer loyalty<\/strong> where AI creates personalised experiences to help customers feel valued and understood, which builds and maintains loyalty, and in turn, translates to increased revenue and reduced costs<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Once you figure out which of these goals aligns with your current business needs, we can get on the road(map). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Recalibrate expectations<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Knowing the destination doesn\u2019t make the journey predictable. The technology may be more widespread now, but AI can still surprise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Consider the example of a retail company with a disastrous customer service call centre. Their high abandonment rates and low net promoter scores (NPS) indicate terrible customer satisfaction. Initially, they might focus an AI solution on the front end, like a customer service chatbot. But, on deeper exploration, they realised a better understanding of customer needs will provide a bigger benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    AI can play a critical role here in customer service automation and also in analysing feedback and purchasing patterns. But getting to this shift in perspective requires stepping back, looking at your business process, and finding inefficiencies or potential improvements. AI can emerge as more than a singular tool and instead as a strategic force, combining the best of computer science and data to reach business goals.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Make the AI business case<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    As the business goals begin to come into focus, an important strategic checkpoint is clarifying the reasoning and justification for the AI implementation. When rolling out any big project or new technology, there should be a hard look at benefits, disadvantages, cost, and risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But, since AI has the potential to be a more transformative technology than others, and comes in many different shapes and sizes, it\u2019s even more important to take this disciplined approach. Think of this as the last exit before the highway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Need help with your generative AI strategy? <\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\tGet the guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t
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    Prioritise trust<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Again and again, one of the top concerns about AI is trust. Luckily, that\u2019s our #1 value at Salesforce. That means we strongly believe in addressing concerns about data security<\/a>, privacy<\/a>, ethical use of AI<\/a>, and trust<\/a> right at the onset. Transparency and clear communication about responsible AI practices are crucial. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The most common questions that I\u2019ve encountered are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n