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business situations and companies
should think carefully about how and
where they use this technology. Most
experts recommend striking a balance
between robot and human employees,
where robots are used to maximize and
enhance humans’ current capabilities
rather than entirely replace them.
With so many benefits, it’s not
surprising that AI and automation
is already being employed by many
companies. One of the unique features
of artificial intelligence is that it’s
extremely flexible and can be used for
nearly every purpose imaginable. So,
how do companies currently employ
the technology?
Research from Narrative Science
shows that almost 25% of companies
use AI applications for predictive
analytics, while 22% use it for machine
learning (an algorithm that allows
devices to “learn” based on data).
Other uses include natural language
processing, voice recognition, virtual
personal assistants and chatbots, and
diagnostics.
Regardless of the size of your company,
there are ways that you can integrate
AI applications into your daily business
practices, often for free or at little cost.
Automated email
Platforms like Gmail use AI to give you
reminders about emails that need to
be followed up, while applications like
MailChimp allows you to automate
marketing campaigns and send tailored
emails. The development of automated
email platforms has dramatically
changed the face of direct mail
marketing and is an essential channel
for any business to leverage.
Share documents
Especially important if you manage a
global team, Google Docs and GSuite
allow teams to collaborate on and share
live-updates of documents. With more
flexibility and agility in collaboration on
documents, this facilitates the growing
trend of teams operating from remote
locations.
Job applications
HR departments can streamline the
recruitment process with Applicant
Tracking Systems like SmartRecruiters
or Zoho. These systems can scan
through job applications and CVs
to select candidates with the right
experience, skills and know-how,
giving recruiters more time to focus on
interviewing potential candidates and
focusing on finding the perfect person
to fill the vacancy.
Invoicing and online
accounting
As any business owner knows,
balancing the books and creating
invoices can be a time-consuming
process. Software like Sage Business
Cloud Accounting can make the process
easier by automatically creating
invoices and quotes, reconciling your
bank accounts and tracking expenses.
Saving you valuable time, which can
instead be spent on financial planning
and strategy.
Automated process tools
If none of the above options suit you,
then you can create your own. If This
Then That(IFTTT) is a powerful tool
which allows you to create your own
automated process, also known as
Applets. Applets pair a wide range of
platforms with IFTTT to streamline
nearly any task. For example, you can
create an automated time tracking
Applet, automatically save email
attachments to Google Drive, log calls
on Excel, and much more.
Team management
Task management tools, like Basecamp,
Trello, and Google Calendar, have
become an integral part of any busy
business. Automated teammanagement
platforms like Asana, Slack and Sage
Business Cloud People are quickly
becoming included in this toolkit.
Asana helps manage remote teams
by sending automated reminders and
reports to keep everyone on the same
page while Slack can automate team
management tasks like scheduling
team meetings or managing team
communications.
Sage
Business
Cloud People gives HR teams instant
visibility into team performance so you
can provide additional support when
needed and address any potential
issues before they become a problem.
Artificial Intelligence
future in business
While many people worry that
advancements in AI and automation
technology will result in a loss of
jobs, this isn’t necessarily the case.
Companies that want to adopt a robotic
workforce should think carefully about
areas where the technology could
have the greatest results. Instead
of completely replacing all human
employees, often the best approach
involves a collaboration of both.
Robots should work alongside
human employees to improve human
capabilities and help us create a
world where businesses and humans
benefit. A world where companies can
reduce costs while humans focus on
more meaningful and exciting career
opportunities. Freeing us all from the
mundane admin tasks of our current
roles.
Stacey McIntosh, editor-in-chief of
Sage Advice UK, Sage
62 l New-Tech Magazine Europe