How to use AI in your business

Want to give AI a crack but don’t know where to start? Here’s some pointers.

AI is such a huge, huge topic that it can be hard to know where to start. After all, it can do so much. But if you’re going to begin using AI – and take with a pinch of salt if you wish, but you should – you need to start small.

First things first, identify a task that your people find time-consuming or laborious, and explore how you can automate it.

AI expert Brooke Wright, AI Strategist & Consultant at Wright Mode, says, “Start with whatever frustrates your team most – usually writing quotes or following up with customers. Choose just ChatGPT to begin with, not multiple tools. Find your most tech-curious team member and get them excited about it first, or bring in someone who specialises in AI training workshops to get everyone comfortable quickly. Try it for a month and track simple things like, ‘How much time did this save today?’”

The reason for an exploratory, hands-on approach as opposed to a training-mandated approach is that success stories spread faster. So, a few good outcomes will have your people enthused rather than cautious.

Annie Liang, Co-founder of AI platform Billie Onsite, agrees. “Test it on one project, gather team feedback, and measure impact. If it’s effective and the tool is right for you, create a rollout plan with training and support.

“From there it’s easier to implement across the business, and then identify other tasks AI could help with,” she says.

Measuring the impact of AI

Of course, it’s one thing to use AI, it’s another to use it successfully with measurable business outcomes. Because we’re not in the business of doing things just for the sake of it here.

Mel advises: “Track metrics like time saved on specific tasks, error reduction rates, employee adoption percentages, and customer satisfaction scores. Calculate ROI by comparing implementation costs against efficiency gains and revenue increases. Conduct regular surveys to assess employee confidence levels and identify areas needing additional training or tool refinement.”

Brooke agrees, and says don’t ignore soft metrics, either. “In addition, think about tracking factors like reduced stress, fewer customer complaints, and faster response times. Measure baseline performance for two weeks before implementation, then compare monthly. True success is when your team can’t imagine working without the AI tools.”

AI Safety considerations

Of course, it’s one thing to use AI, it’s another to use it safely. We delve more
into the ethical use of AI in a few pages’ time, but Steve Jaenke of Digimark says,

“Assume no LLM (large language model) is private unless you’re using an open-source model hosted on your own secure infrastructure.

“If you’re using ChatGPT or similar tools, don’t share anything you wouldn’t post publicly; this includes intellectual property, internal documentation, passwords, or

anything business-critical. 

“Always check where your data is stored, who has access, and whether you can delete it. If your team is using AI platforms, you should also educate them on data hygiene when using AI tools, too.”

How Schneider’s using AI

Of course, it’s not just contractors who can use AI in our industry – Gemcell suppliers are quickly finding new ways to embrace cutting-edge technology in the services and products they offer.

Schneider has Introduced the AI Recommendation Button within mySchneider to help create accurate and efficient quotes. The AI-powered tool will suggest materials based on your most frequently quoted items, helping you save time by reducing manual searches, improve accuracy with data-driven suggestions and streamline your workflow for a smoother quotation experience.

Schneider says: “As AI becomes integrated into our lives, we are taking the steps to integrate AI into one of our most valuable resources, mySchneider. This first release enhances the quote experience for customers.

“This enhancement was created to address a common challenge: reducing the time and effort required to create accurate quotes. By analysing your past quotes and sales order history, the system can now intelligently suggest relevant products as you build a new quote.”

Supplier Spotlight