Technology company InCheq’s market analysis revealed a startling insight: businesses large and small struggle to incorporate digital tools to trim task management and optimize operations. Despite the groundbreaking advances that AI technology was making in these areas, business leaders often didn’t know how to take advantage of them. At the same time, however, neglecting to stay abreast of these developments threatens to make businesses obsolete.
“The truth is that AI is accelerating the pace at which the world of business turns,” says Brianna Van Zanten, InCheq’s Customer Success Manager. “Today’s businesses need efficient task management software to ensure their operations are running at peak efficiency and assert their position in their industry.”
AI optimizes staff, equipment automatically
According to Van Zanten, the difference between human-powered and present-day AI-powered systems is vast, and AI systems are much faster, enabling them to improve operational efficiency in multiple ways. First and foremost, AI-based task-management platforms offer nearly instantaneous scheduling capabilities.
“Creating schedules for staff can be a time-consuming process when it’s done manually,” Van Zanten says. “Today’s AI can encompass an ocean of data simultaneously. It can determine the most advantageous schedule in a fraction of the amount of time that it would take even the most experienced human professional.”
The same goes for optimizing the use of equipment. “Businesses want work to continue flowing through the pipeline at the fastest possible rate,” Van Zanten says, “and the AI ensures this happens. It can also set up schedules for preventive maintenance. By taking this kind of proactive approach, businesses can decrease unexpected downtime.”
Perhaps even more importantly, today’s AI-driven task-management systems can adapt immediately to changes in the real-world environment.
AI solves problems before human staff even knows they exist
“Let’s say someone calls in sick — the system can instantly suggest a substitute to the manager,” she says. “Let’s say air quality begins to degrade — the system can instantly issue a warning. Whatever happens, the AI can begin to address it in the most common-sense way without needing to take time to process surprise or any negative emotions like a human would.”
The result is safer work conditions, fewer accidents, and better compliance with governmental regulations.
Additionally, these systems track the progress of work in real time. “Everyone always knows exactly what’s going on, since the system is totally transparent and continually updates itself,” Van Zanten explains. “This not only allows people to collaborate live no matter where they might be located, but also gives leadership unparalleled control over the whole business.”
In addition, these pioneering task-management systems can notify managers if a particular project is slipping behind schedule. “This gives supervisors the ability to step in and usher the work over the finish line,” Van Zanten says.
AI-based systems can even predict future developments, enabling leadership to understand the probable effects of any current decisions. “This is called predictive analytics,” Van Zanten explains. “These reports help executives become much more informed about the consequences or ramifications of heading in one direction versus another. They also tend to help people make the right decision based on empirical data, rather than on hunches or for misguided emotional reasons.”
Today’s AIs are masterful communicators
According to Van Zanten, today’s AI is also much more sophisticated than previous iterations when it comes to communication.
“The great thing about our systems today is that they can learn how to express themselves more and more effectively to certain audiences and even specific individuals,” she says. “They become increasingly effective in their messaging over time.”
Van Zanten suggests that AI systems have advanced to the point that interacting with them has become a pleasure.
“For employees, working with these systems leads to increased productivity and job satisfaction,” Van Zanten says. “For customers, it leads to a better experience, which promotes sales and encourages their loyalty to the brand.”
Indeed, IT research and consultancy firm Gartner recently conducted a survey in which 38 percent of business executives said customer experience and retention were their main reasons for investing in generative AI. The second most popular answer was increasing revenue, at 26 percent, followed by reducing costs, at 17 percent.
Seize the advantages of AI
McKinsey & Company estimates that AI will add $4.4 trillion of value as businesses mine its potential for increased productivity and growth. Given these benefits, it should come as no surprise that businesses of all kinds are incorporating this exciting technology. Indeed, McKinsey also states that 92 percent of companies intend to increase their investments in AI over the next three years.
“Next-generation task management tools are here today,” Van Zanten says. “The only question is which businesses will seize the advantage they present and dominate their industry going forward.”
