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The avalanche of interest in generative AI is poised to entirely change the world of service operations. Many ops leaders are realising the potential for AI – both generative and non-generative – to ease the constant pressure to reduce costs and work more efficiently, even with fewer resources at their disposal.
While operations teams are already using technology such as robotic process automation (RPA) to automate certain tasks and streamline workflows, workloads have remained resilient – often because there is a limit to what can be done without human intervention.

The next generation of AI tools promises to change all of that. With increasingly ‘intelligent’ automation at their disposal, organisations will need fewer people and become far more data-centric, with AI generating prescriptive insights that will help organisations improve their decision-making.
In this white paper we examine the challenges service operations face to unlock the power of AI and explore the potential AI use cases that will change the way operations are run moving forward.

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1. AI’s Practical Business Applications

In 2024 the integration of artificial intelligence into organisational delivery is no longer a distant ambition but a tangible reality that firms will eagerly adopt. Leveraging AI to enhance operational efficiency, decision-making, and customer experiences will become the norm.  From automation of routine tasks to streamlining more complex ones, AI will become a gamechanger for businesses across industries.

As businesses seek to gain a competitive edge, practical applications of AI are no longer a luxury, but a necessity. We are witnessing a shift from experimentation to implementation where AI is seamlessly woven into the fabric of organisations to drive innovation an efficiency.

This trend is especially prevalent in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and manufacturing, where AI is being harnessed to analyse vast datasets, predict trends and optimise processes. The result will be a more agile and responsive business environment that can adapt to the dynamic demands of the global market.

For the immediate future, it’s not WHEN you should adopt but WHAT you should adopt. Businesses need to start interacting now with AI to avoid getting left behind and becoming part of a digital divide. For SME’s, there are numerous AI tools now available and ChatGPT is a good place to start before exploring other AI capabilities.  In 2024 we will see more and more AI becoming available in existing software.

Looking beyond 2024, AI will evolve and unlock new potential – faster and better thanks to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), a form of artificial intelligence in which a machine can learn and think like a human. This will lead to the era of agent powered applications with everyday problem-solving capabilities with transformative impact on customer delivery.

Meanwhile, work will become more engaging for employees as AI helps to automate repetitive and low-level administrative tasks as well as acting as a copilot, allowing them to focus their talents on work that reflects their expertise.

2.  Accelerating Transformation Through Advanced AI

The landscape of transformation has historically been characterised by gradual progress, necessitating extensive periods of analysis, coding, and testing to ensure the delivery of precise and well-fitting solutions. Recently, the widespread adoption of AI tools like ChatGPT for coding purposes has marked a significant shift in this paradigm. As we move into 2024, this evolution is poised to leap forward. We are on the cusp of witnessing a revolution in intelligent automation. This new era is defined by automation solutions that autonomously analyse processes, develop code, and perform testing against historical data, thereby preparing solutions for final acceptance testing. The integration of AI in process analysis and robotic development heralds a future where the time and cost associated with the delivery of process automation are dramatically reduced, paving the way for faster, more efficient, and cost-effective transformation.

3.  AI: Collating Data to Provide Insights that Matter

The other critical trend dominating the business landscape in 2024 is the profound impact of AI on data collation and analysis. AI algorithms are becoming increasingly sophisticated, enabling businesses to unlock valuable patterns and trends that were formerly hidden in a previously collected “data deluge.” Historically, organisations have large amounts of data but unlocking insight has been a challenge.  AI will be able to collate the vast amounts of available data, provide insightful dashboards and provide analysis identifying emerging opportunities and mitigating risk more effectively. 

This trend is ushering in a new era of data-driven decision making, empowering businesses to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing environment. From customer preferences to market trends, systems equipped with advanced AI capabilities are providing actionable insights that enhance strategic planning and offer more informed decision making.

4.  Hybrid Work: An Employer’s Market 

As wars and higher interest rates have taken the heat out of the global economy, 2024 will see a significant shift in the dynamics of hybrid work as a solution is sought between flexibility and in-person collaboration. While 2022 and early 2023 were an employee’s market, in 2024, it’s arguably an employer’s market now.  Businesses are increasingly asking staff to return to the office – but a balance is being struck between flexibility and full-time office working – we are now firmly in the era of Hybrid Work.

The general feeling is that being present in the workplace fosters greater degrees of creativity, innovation and team cohesion.  We have seen younger employees crave the advantages of face-to-face interaction and mentorship opportunities in the office environment.  More experienced employees have enjoyed the flexibility of remote working and the freedom this has brought. 

The balance is hybrid work where employees spend 2-3 days in the office environment striking the balance between both of these worlds. Employers will want to invest in management systems to ensure that they are making the most of collaboration time when in the office.

5.  Senior Managers at the Helm

The role of the senior manager is going to undergo significant change as companies navigate the complexities of the modern workplace.

First, the presence of senior managers in the office has become indispensable.  The move to hybrid work means that senior managers must be visible in the workplace to shape the organisational culture and lead from the front.

Second, customer delivery will become more complex as simpler tasks are automated, resulting in a lower number of more specialist skills which are less transferable between individuals. New ways of training and upskilling employees will need to be developed as well as better systems to manage capacity.

Finally, AI will start to support them through delivering better insights, prompting as to next best action and helping them manage through this complex environment. (as well as supporting note taking at meetings, producing first draft presentations etc)     

Ray Bowe, CEO of Xcentuate concluded: “I’ve heard the emergence of AI described as the most profound industrial revolution in human history. We’ve yet to see if that becomes true but what we know for definite is that we are at the cusp of radical change in our professional and personal lives. What’s critical now for Ireland Inc is not only embracing that change but being at the forefront of it.”  

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The third quarter was another challenging period for ops teams who have been battling with similar trends around the world over the first nine months of the year: a combination of inflationary pressures and high interest rates, cost of living challenges for consumers, and volatile economic conditions for businesses. As we’ve seen in previous editions of OpsTracker, in Q3 these factors are complicating
the operating environment and, in most regions at least, affecting operational performance.

As we enter the final quarter of the year, operations leaders will also be turning their focus to what will be in store for service operations in 2024. We hope you enjoy this edition and find it useful. We look forward to sharing next quarter’s findings and recommendations with you in the new year.

The post ActiveOps Tracker – Issue 4 2023- ‘The Road Ahead’ appeared first on Xcentuate.

We are excited to bring you access to this quarter’s performance Tracker for Operations report. The initial six months of the year posed significant challenges for operations leaders, having to navigate disruptions caused by ongoing inflation and rapid increases in interest rates. While there is no magic wand to solve this, there is a proven recipe for boosting operational performance. Think of it as adding five key ingredients to your operations mix: agility, control, effectiveness, efficiency, and focus. The secret sauce? Use the intelligence from across the globe combined with your data to determine which ingredient to sprinkle more generously. And that’s what OpsTracker gives you.

What’s new in this edition:

The latest quarter paints a brighter picture: UK & Ireland’s performance is on the upswing, Australia and New Zealand are confidently holding onto their top scorecard spots, and North America is in the race for the coveted first place.

In his guest article, senior operations leader Marc Romain challenges operations teams to get a handle on their data to drive better decision making, and why this is critical for understanding the right levers to pull.

Ray Bowe, CEO of Dublin-based international operational management solutions provider Xcentuate, explains the nuances between the UK and Irish market, how Ireland’s banks are benefiting from the exit of two foreign players, and the impact that is having on operations teams.

Plus, five key trends to watch out and more insightful articles from operations experts around the world sharing their opinion and diving into the regional impact.

We hope you enjoy the latest edition, and we look forward to sharing next quarter’s insights and recommendations.

The post OpsTracker Q3 “A Mid-Year Performance Review” appeared first on Xcentuate.

Effectively what all of these column inches have in common is a level of paranoia among senior leaders about where their people are, and inferring if they are not in line of sight, then they must be skiving — what Microsoft’s Satya Nadella calls ‘productivity paranoia’.

Trust the data

Scratch the surface however and you will find a correlation between the absence of trusted operational data and the level of senior management concern. Organizations knee jerk to impose arbitrary back-to-office mandates in the absence of data and process around how they manage where people work.

By contrast, for those organizations that use data, it is a non-issue because they have the information at hand to make better choices about what the right answer is for them. In other words, it doesn’t need to be a problem.

It is a classic example of when people feel out of control, they become insecure in their thinking. Whereas if organizations are confident a bout their systems and processes, and are on top of where the work is, then it is easier to be flexible about where people are working.

Strategy, not hope

There is a real dichotomy between those businesses that have cracked this and are in control, and those that are making decisions based purely on emotion because they feel powerless and out of control — if their people aren’t in the office, then they tend to fear the worst.

But with the right data and the system of managing work properly, organizations then have all the visibility and levers they need to make informed decisions on where the right place is to work for their individual business.

If an organization is not using data to inform policy on hybrid working, it is effectively a hope strategy like throwing darts at a dartboard in the dark. They assume people work better  in the office  and  are therefore dismissive of hybrid working regardless.

Let data drive your decisions

There are potentially two key opportunities for organizations that are making data-driven management decisions around hybrid working. Firstly, they can configure their business better and potentially improve staff wellbeing because there won’t be the same battles around blanket back- to-office mandates that are based on C-suite paranoia. Secondly, it gives organizations a potential hiring advantage in the context of scarce  resource availability — if rivals are forcing all employees back into the office, then data-driven organizations can offer a better work-life balance.

Using data, however, does not create a binary outcome. What it enables organizations to do is fine-tune processes because they have all the feedback loops and visibility on what impact hybrid working is having and therefore can adjust based on their individual circumstances.

Ultimately CEOs must focus on having the data to be able to make the right decisions. By using data to underpin their management processes, organizations can create a flexible strategy that can be tweaked as the business evolves, improving decision-making and ensuring working practices are always right for them.

Data can overcome productivity paranoia

As organizations continue to evolve from pandemic-induced changes to everyday working practices, the long-term impacts on operational performance remain uncertain and the Hybrid working question mark remains. Data can help leaders overcome the ‘productivity paranoia’ and make informed decisions, creating hybrid working  policies that are based on outcomes rather than emotion. We see businesses with timely and accurate control, making more effective and informed choices about working location and performance. Our latest OpsTracker Q2 report gives you further insights on operational performance around the world and how to improve.

Published on: 05/06/2023

By: Richard Jeffery, CEO at ActiveOps

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It has been another disruptive quarter for operations teams. Aside from the ongoing economic uncertainty, the explosion of publicity around ChatGPT has raised questions about how artificial
intelligence could transform many areas of our working lives. Understandably, corporate leaders have been racing to understand the threats and opportunities that ChatGPT poses for
their businesses. In this edition, our guest author and digital transformation expert Dr. Mona Ashok explores how this technology might impact operations teams and improve the
way operations are run.

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Download the full report

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Mail Metrics provides an all in one solution for our clients who wish to switch from Print to Digital, providing a complete end to end solution for customer correspondence.

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