August 16, 2024
Artificial intelligence (AI) represents an invaluable opportunity for enterprises to boost efficiency. However, small business owners often hesitate on implementation, missing out on tapping operational data or available external data for improved productivity and decision-making.
Written by
Wei-Chung Wang
CEO & Co-Founder
The perception lingers that AI is only relevant for large corporations, when simple machine learning integrations can significantly benefit SMBs through tasks like process automation, demand forecasting and elevating customer service. This article showcases purpose-built AI solutions tailored for high-impact results across business verticals.
At its foundation, AI derives power from structured data - taking siloed information companies collect and organizing it into categorized datasets optimized for computer analysis. This data fed into machine learning algorithms and neural networks is where the magic happens, unlocking transformative business intelligence and automation superpowers.
While companies generate vast amounts of raw unstructured data, digging into that treasure trove with basic analytics can prove complex. AI service partners and consultants are crucial to educate business owners on mis-opportunities, identify internal resources, and build pipelines preparing and funneling data into innovative solutions that amplify operational capabilities.
Rather than rely on guesswork for wholesale orders, advanced machine learning algorithms can analyze historical sales data on items, colors and sizes, factors like seasonality and product lifecycles and broader style trends to generate accurate demand forecasts. This science-backed data guides purchasing volumes so inventory precisely aligns with projected customer needs.
With a conversational AI chatbot handling common questions on basic offerings like beverages, pastries, hours, and gift cards, employees have more bandwidth to engage patrons on a personal level and tailor recommendations. And with machine learning components, these bots continuously improve over time based on real interaction data.
Processing client tax forms remains essential but tedious work for accounting firms. AI document analysis solutions can programmatically read forms, classify types of documents, extract key fields of structured data through OCR functionality and export information into preparation software. This eliminates hours of manual data entry to speed up turnaround.
Sophisticated multi-touch attribution leverages machine learning techniques to determine the true conversion value of marketing channels and campaigns amidst today’s fragmented consumer journeys. This enables reallocation of budgets away from lower-performing tactics towards demonstrably higher ROI areas to drive growth.
Applicant tracking systems incorporate vast data on existing employee success, resume details, skills assessments and behavioral profiles to train AI models that effectively evaluate and rank incoming candidates for open positions. Recruiters supplement these suggestions to markedly accelerate qualified applicants surfacing through noise.
The above examples demonstrate AI’s flexibility enhancing existing SMB workflows across functions. By partnering with applied AI experts focused on maximizing business impact, companies can future-proof operations with adaptable solutions primed for growth. Let our experience inform your first steps.