Today’s IT professionals are busier than ever, with demands for IT requests up some 39% over just a few years ago. For many IT leaders, artificial intelligence (AI) seems like the ideal resource, a tool that can help boost productivity and enhance their ability to master tasks and minimize demand on human time. Then, why isn’t it happening yet?

IT Leaders See the Potential in AI

In a recent Salesforce report, 85% of IT leaders said they expect that AI will help them to improve productivity within their business. They also expect to see that improvement in a relatively short period of time: within 3 years. Imagine AI carrying the heavy burden of many of the tedious tasks that IT professionals get bogged down with on a daily basis.

The Problem Is They Lack the Ability to Take Advantage Of This Boost

The same Salesforce report indicates that 63% of those responding to the poll said their organization is not configured or ready to utilize the benefits they know AI can often provide. Without the ability to harmonize data systems in an effective and efficient way to implement and use AI, all of that potential productivity seems lost.

These types of IT struggles are not new. Most organizations continue to struggle to move their operation to a truly digital foundation, with 80% of respondents saying they struggle with data silos and another 72% reporting that they are struggling with symptoms that are dependent on one another rather than operating efficiently.

How Can Organizations Leverage AI in a Meaningful Way and Make the Most Of Its Potential?

With so much potential out there, it’s clear that organizations must be able to embrace AI or get left behind the competition. How can organizations, including those battling digital transformation limitations, make the most out of AI right now?

Develop data integration

One of the most important strategies for organizations who want to leverage the potential benefits of AI is to develop data integration strategies. These strategies help to improve organizations from the top down, from operational efficiencies to productivity and customer experience.

Utilize LLMs

Most organizations plan to incorporate a larger number of Large Language Models (LLMs) they use. The Salesforce survey found that about 80% of reporting agencies say they are already using generative AI models in some form today.

Utilize integrated data

Organizations must also value integrated data. That is, apps must be connected. Creating a fully functional and integrated solution allows for better data access and management. This could prove critical in building out systems that are no longer siloed but able to function together as a single and effective unit. Without this type of resource, IT leaders may find that AI adoption becomes much more challenging (and expensive) to facilitate.

Overcoming security issues

All organizations continue to face the limitations and challenges of security risks. With more focus than ever on security threats for small and larger organizations, many organizations have held back on adopting AI as a result. They are worried that AI presents a potential for additional security threats. The key to this challenge is improving robust network solutions that do not hinder but support AI adoption.

By working to unify all structured and unstructured business data, organizations open the door to AI integration. The key here is deploying trusted and effective AI tools across the functions of the business to alleviate frustration and added costs.

The Cost of Delaying AI Adoption

For IT leaders, every adoption of technology has to be met with some concern. Is this going to improve your bottom line? Is there a true ROI present?

Without the investment and move toward AI, organizations face the potential of slipping behind the competition. Consider, for example, what data insights can offer an organization.

With AI, you gain access to data insights about your customers, website visitors, sales calls, and any other connected data. That data can be used to give you insight into what to do to better your results. Ultimately, without the integration of effective data management to minimize siloed or “stuck” data, you miss key opportunities to utilize those details to influence business decisions.

The other aspect of delaying AI adoption is the loss of productivity. Humans are incredible creatures that are capable of providing a wide range of resources to the world. Tedious tasks are not the best way to use your human talent. By implementing strategies that include automation, it’s possible to build more self-sufficiency and reduce the burden that’s holding your IT team back. Ultimately, your people can handle the more complicated and pressing matters while automation alleviates frustrations.

AI Provides a Viable Solution to Most Organizations

As a business moves closer to fully digital transformation and implementing more of the automation and AI features and resources available to them, they are likely to see remarkable improvement.

• IT teams see a reduction in pressure, allowing them to not only work more productively but also to reduce stress, which leads to high job turnover in many industries.
• AI may help organizations minimize costly mistakes related to compliance concerns and security risks, outright saving the organization money.
• API and other tools allow for the integration of functions seamlessly. They do not require extensive training or hard-to-utilize methods.
• Adopting automation will allow organizations to continue to meet higher demands on IT professionals (it’s not going to slow down anytime soon).

How to Make It Happen: Using API to Master Growth

Nearly all organizations are using APIs to master their effectiveness and growth. APIs work to streamline the way data is accessed and create better insight into what is occurring. By connecting various apps and systems, all of those data insights become accessible and easy to utilize, including AI tools.

API is a solution because it can:

• Improve operational efficiency in every area of the business
• Enhance the productivity of your IT teams
• Reduce IT team stress and improve overall quality of work
• Improve costs by minimizing delays and costly downtime
• Reduce operational costs for various tasks

The utilization of AI is a critical component of business operations moving forward. With the help of the right tools, IT leaders will see improvement in bottom-line profits. The ROI is high for nearly all organizations that successfully adopt these strategies. With the right services and tools, organizations have the ability to advance their bottom line.

How CloudStreet Makes It Happen

At CloudStreet, organizations can tap into the ability to scale their Salesforce platform. CloudStreet has implemented B2B stores for manufacturers in the industrial, IT services, and consumer goods sectors. We have the tools to support your business as you move closer to adopting the strategies that will ultimately allow your business to function at its highest level. Learn more about how we can help you by contacting CloudStreet now.