John Cradden outlines how SMEs can streamline processes and reduce costs using available AI tools.
Amid all the chatter about how best to exploit artificial intelligence, there is already one facet of running a business where AI can reliably cut costs or save time: operations.
Granted, day-to-day operations encompass a whole range of functions but there are a range of solutions now available that can support, automate and optimise elements of sales, marketing, recruitment, team management, online security and customer service.
“The first step in using any technology is identifying its practical applications”
A recent survey by Eir Evo (and supported by Microsoft) revealed that a third of small businesses have already adopted AI tools, while half were planning to implement them in some form over the next year. Key areas where the technology is expected to make an impact include customer service (32%), IT (27%) and sales (14%), most likely in reducing the time spent on administrative work and enabling staff to focus more on higher-value activities.
On the other hand, a recent study commissioned by Huawei showed that over half of Irish micro-firms, or firms employing fewer than 10 people, didn’t use AI and were not planning to. Of those that did, data analysis and insights, followed by customer service, were the primary applications of AI in their businesses.
The first step in using any technology is identifying its practical applications, so let’s take a look at AI tools that can help small businesses automate routine tasks, improve accuracy and save time.
Task/process automation
There are a number of general operations areas ready for the automation treatment, particularly those involving data entry, sending emails, managing meetings, and approving requests – all of which can be handled by Microsoft’s Power Automate, an option in its popular 365 suite.
Bookkeeping is another. Sage Business Cloud Accounting provides automated invoicing systems, removing the need for mundane manual data entry.
If you want to automate as many functions as you can, consider a platform like
IFTTT (If This Then That), which offers a range of integrations to a range of popular platforms that can automate a variety of functions. These include calendars and appointment schedulers, CRM (customer relationship management), social media, email marketing, cloud storage, internal communications, and surveys and customer feedback.
HR management and recruitment
Platforms for team and HR management, such as Monday.com, Slack and Sage Business Cloud People, use AI to automate a variety of the repetitive, time-consuming functions required for managing a team, such as reminders, meeting scheduling, email and report drafting, and summarising meeting notes.
AI tools have been making a big impact in the recruitment sector with more than one-in-four employers in Ireland currently using AI for talent recruitment, according to the latest Irish Jobs AI and Recruitment Report. Tracking candidate applications is one of the most common uses, and players in this sector include firms like SmartRecruiters, Zoho or Workable.
Another interesting example in this space is HireVue, a video interviewing and assessment platform that uses artificial intelligence to streamline the hiring process by evaluating candidates’ skills and competencies through video interviews and game-based assessments.
Research, writing and content creation
Doing any research or creating content of any kind takes time and effort. Particularly since the unveiling of ChatGPT, there has been an explosion in the number of content creation AI tools, and research by Hubspot shows that marketing people are using such tools to save time, although most of them also take the time to edit the content it produces.
Here are some examples of these tools:
- Tome – a service that generates professional-looking Powerpoint presentations in minutes
- Grammarly – a popular browser extension that functions as a writing assistant, whether its checking spelling and grammar, making suggestions or helping you stick to a style guide
- Jasper – a Chrome browser extension that helps create content that matches your brand ‘tone of voice’
- Lumen 5, Submagic, Pictory, Sora – these AI tools can help you quickly turn written content into videos
- Perplexity – this AI-powered search assistant came to prominence here when digital bank Revolut began offering it as part of its Metal membership, but it’s also available as a free app.
Customer service
Using a chatbot to answer frequently asked questions and to manage enquiries removes time spent answering calls, leaving more time for deeper and meaningful customer engagement. It’s a huge area of growth, and chatbots powered by AI technologies like national language processing have enabled them to take huge leaps forward in terms of the quality of customer interactions. And for a small business they can be easily implemented.
There are already number of firms specialising in developing entirely bespoke chatbots, but another option for small businesses is to use Microsoft CoPilot Studio – an option within the Microsoft 365 suite that lets you build your own AI-powered chat assistants to interact with your customers, among other things.
AI programmes
Small businesses in the Galway area who would appreciate a bit of expert guidance on the most practical, cost-effective AI solutions can apply to a programme called AI Adoption Accelerator. Led by Galway firm Galvia AI, the programme will provide successful applicants with access to experts to develop machine learning models and applications tailored to their specific business needs. The five-week programme costs €5,000 but eligible companies will be able to avail of support from Enterprise Ireland’s Digital Discovery grant and can apply for 80% net funding from Enterprise Ireland to participate.
There is also a free training resource from Google aimed at helping SMEs use AI effectively, titled ‘Getting ahead with AI’.
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