Have you heard the AI buzz? It’s hard not to get caught up in the transformative potential of AI technology in business operations. The heavily documented capabilities of artificial intelligence promote enticing techniques to deliver significant benefits.

What’s not to love, right? Before your company invests in AI-backed digital transformation, consider what AI technology can bring to your operations. What features reverse the limitations of outdated or unreliable systems without compromising the brand? Moreover, where can you find an advisory team specializing in cloud-based, AI-supported digital innovations and their impact on company infrastructure?  

Fortunately, experienced teams are prepared to address rapid-fire questions about digital transformation by asking what operational challenges our customers face, their expectations, and how AI-supported innovations can offer solutions for all company infrastructure branches. 

But let’s start at the beginning. 

The primary issues our customers often face include data management and security, customizable features that align with company processes and industry, and built-in features to improve customer experiences and build brand loyalty. 

Is AI technology a strategic solution for your business? 

By addressing the impact AI-backed innovations may have on four primary business objectives—management, security, customized features, and CX—you’ll be better equipped to evaluate the potential of AI technology as an investment for your organization. 

Data Management

Does data management impact your company’s ability to compete in a crowded industry? I dunno. Can Marc Benioff sport tropical-print shirts like a boss? 

Today’s companies have moved beyond merely storing data. Instead, they use this valuable information to innovate infrastructure, enhance customer relationships, and drive growth with thoughtful data integration, assessment, and automated segmentation. 

But it’s not without its challenges. 

It’s common for companies to house a combination of structured and unstructured data in diverse data sources among departments. This often impacts data compatibility and interoperability between teams. If your company relies on manual, siloed processes to manage growing volumes of data, integration will require expertise to effectively balance the time and costs associated with this transformation. Don’t worry, this is where experts like Simplus step in to support you. 

Data Security

Experts admit that a growing concern about emerging AI capabilities is the threat of data breaches and cyber-attacks. Research as early as 2019 cited security risks and vulnerabilities exacerbated by growing AI technologies, with around 80% of cybersecurity decision-makers anticipating AI increasing the scale and speed of attacks. 

Over half (around 66%) of global security leaders also expect AI “to conduct attacks that no human could conceive of.” 

“The concern that most security leaders have is that there’s no visibility, monitoring, or explainability for some of those features,” said Jeff Pollard, a cybersecurity analyst at Forrester Research. Experts point to affected pre-existing code generating new code as an example of data vulnerabilities that can cause harm. 

“The challenge with generative AI is that the technology is developing so quickly that companies are rushing to figure out if it introduces new cybersecurity challenges or magnifies existing security weaknesses,” said WSJ business technology writer Belle Lin. 

But as AI is often cited as the bain of data security, could it be the solution? 

Reputable cloud providers often invest heavily in security measures, such as encryption, access controls, and regular security updates, helping to protect your data from breaches. But can AI track anomalies to reduce security threats? 

“Trust in AI data privacy requires special safeguards including data masking, toxicity detection, data grounding, zero retention, and more,” explains Lisa Lee at Salesforce. “These guardrails protect data and help ensure ethical use, boosting chances of AI success.”

If your business involves financial transactions, AI can also detect unusual patterns or behaviors that might indicate fraudulent activities.

With compliance matters, AI can help enforce data governance policies and compliance regulations by monitoring data usage, tracking changes, and ensuring that data handling practices adhere to legal and ethical standards.

Customization

Using a system that caters to unique industry challenges and opportunities adds value to your operations while also harnessing operational expenditures for measurable revenue growth. 

Leading off with intelligent data management and security in this blog is meaningful because any AI-backed system is only as good as the data it captures. When your company transitions to cloud computing and implements customizable tools like Data Cloud, adding AI elevates industry-specific customer interaction, improved collaboration, reliable backup capabilities, mobility, automation for strategic yet routine tasks, and overall cost-effective processes. 

AI can also learn from patterns in data management processes and continuously improve its performance. This leads to greater efficiency and accuracy over time.

Improved CX

With technology advances offering unprecedented data segmentation and automation, the customer isn’t just king–they are the sultan of service. 

“Customers expect more. They expect callback options. They expect to open a chat window on your website, send a text message or a tweet, and get a near-instant reply. They expect that you already know who they are when they call, that you’re aware of their most recent order, and that you understand what they need next,” explained Vala Afshar, Chief Digital Evangelist at Salesforce.com. “They don’t want to repeat their information. And they definitely don’t want to wait.”

Salesforce research found that 77% of customers expect an immediate connection with a company rep or support upon contact. 

AI enables the creation of personalized experiences for customers by analyzing their preferences and behaviors. This leads to better customer engagement and loyalty. AI-driven predictive analytics can forecast future trends based on historical data. This can help businesses make informed decisions and plan strategies based on insights derived from data analysis.

But here’s the fine print for relying too heavily on AI technology for CX processes—your brand. 

If not implemented carefully, AI systems might not align with a company’s brand values or customer service ethos, causing brand reputation damage. In addition, by depending on too much AI-backed automation, AI-powered interactions can lack the empathy and understanding that human agents can provide. 

For instance, the National Retail Federation recently reported that while brick-and-mortar stores remain popular, 70% of consumers surveyed said ordering products online for an in-person pick-up has improved their shopping experience. 

Working with an expert advisory team can create a seamless, multi-channeled balance between transitioning the customer journey to digital innovation and good ol’ fashioned consumer care. 

The decision to launch AI-backed digital transformation is a pivotal one for any organization. The key lies in identifying the specific AI features that align with your operational goals and customer expectations. 

Before you embark on this journey, ensure you have a clear vision of what AI can offer and partner with the right experts to navigate the path to a brighter digital future. A robust advisory team with expertise in cloud-based, AI-supported digital innovations is an invaluable resource to guide your organization in effectively harnessing the power of AI technology and integrating it seamlessly into your company’s infrastructure.