In our previous article we explored [the power of technology in the modern world](https://armco-it.co.uk/our-services/cloud). Our reliance on it is only going to increase as time goes on, as more and more employers become aware of what technology is capable of.
We also explored A.I, Machine Learning, and Data Science as these are the future of technology in the world. We explained that – contrary to popular belief – it is not a luxury reserved for massive organisations and that, with these modern technological aids working in unison with a capable team of employees, the reliance you place on tech can be greater than you had ever anticipated.
Let’s now take a closer look at the benefits of A.I, Machine Learning, and Data Science in a small business.
The benefits of A.I to a small business
Accurate decision making
A.I allows decisions to be made digitally. Remarkably, you can now place your full trust in your technological solutions and know that they will make the right decision for the business. With a human team this is not always the case: not necessarily because you can’t trust them but more because we all make mistakes – that is just human nature.
Improved recruitment process
Most small businesses don’t even have their own HR department – it can be a demanding and time-consuming set of duties to manage. You can now place the task of HR on the capable shoulders of your technology in the modern world. HR is a sector of business that is seeing particularly large benefits from technological solutions. There are many new and exciting technologies available like A.I-enabled applicant tracking systems that allow for automatic browsing of CV’s through pre-set parameters, meaning that you can be certain that you are only interviewing the best applicants for the job.
One of the most laborious and time-consuming aspects of the recruitment process is interviews. IT allows you to only be involved in the interview process when your time is actually needed. As amazing as it would be, it’s not by buying a robot and getting them to do them for you, but instead with automated questionnaires conducted over the internet, which filter out the applicants that don’t quite make the cut and leave those that meet your criteria. This is where you come in, when you can then get involved in the final stages of the interview process with applicants who are actually suited for the role. This also guarantees no bias – undoubtedly there is no bias in your organisation anyway but in the modern age we must guarantee an unbiased, objective, selection process based on equal opportunity for everyone, and this technology makes that a guarantee.
Interaction whilst mobile
Every Smartphone has a high performing Microchip as standard that influences your phone with A.I daily. The A.I comes in the form of real time translation and speech recognition – using these features correctly can open the door to business opportunities that were previously unattainable, perhaps by allowing you to go multinational. Your customer base can be anywhere; with A.I you can still communicate to a very good and professional standard, regardless of their preferred language.
Customer Service
The experience your customers have when working with your organisation should be at the very top of your business concerns, regardless of the industry you reside in or the clientele you are advertising to. A.I, Machine Learning, and Data Science can revolutionise the way we view customer support. With A.I powered software and Data Science (Sentient analysis technology) you have the ability to respond far more effectively to the concerns of your customer base than ever before. Complaints and queries can be approached and handled far more effectively. Most are script driven and have chatbot technologies incorporated, which will enable your organisation to give accurate helpful answers to queries regardless of whether an expert is at the desk or not. This allows you to build engagement with your target audience, in turn improving the reputation of your organisation, all without any human influence.
Let’s now take a closer look at Data Science, how it is completely different to what it once was, and how – if it is implemented and used correctly – it can revolutionise your organisation going forward.
Data Science/ Analytics and Your Small Business
Data Science translates to Analytics. Data is the lynchpin of successful modern business – it is essential that the data you have is both accurate and protected to the highest standard – if of a good standard, you will be able to make business defining strategic decisions based on that data. Business owners used to accept the fact that they would have to operate one step behind; this wasn’t their fault, but was because we had no way of making live decisions based on events that were happening right now. Our teams were forced to manually gather the information displayed on spreadsheets – and that’s before they had tried to make sense of it.
Analytics have changed due to recent technological advancements. Most business owners are using data analytics to adapt their work practices to achieve the most possible with the resources at their disposal, but, with the unforeseen circumstances of the last two or so years, many – without any forethought – purchased a myriad of tools specialising in collaboration and communication – tools like Microsoft Teams.
Due to the speed at which changes had to be made many business owners were left behind, because they don’t have the knowledge of how to monitor the performance of their team. Business owners need data on their team’s performance, then going one step further they need to be able to get real meaning from that data. This is beneficial for everyone. Giving your team the right capable tools to complete their work to the absolute best possible standards is important, but this is impossible if they don’t know where the problems are in the first place.
A.I, Machine Learning, and Data Science continue to revolutionise small businesses all over the globe and are anticipated to do so for many years to come. Implementing some form of A.I, Machine Learning, and Data Science will help your organisation keep up with your competition, and, more importantly, will allow you to achieve increased levels of productivity by speeding up the most repetitive of tasks, minimising or even irradicating human error in parts of the workflow, and increasing accuracy. A.I is anticipated to become common practice in businesses all around the world, and a matter of when you are going to implement them – not if. So get ahead of the curve, because the possibilities and availability of A.I will become common knowledge to all before too long, and your competition will rush to implement it. Wouldn’t it be nice to be ahead and already reaping the benefits when they only just discover it?
Armco IT: IT Support and Managed Services for Businesses Across York, North and East Yorkshire
There’s nothing we love more than seeing Yorkshire businesses flourish by harnessing the power of IT. Our team of dedicated engineers stands ready to help you overcome any technical challenge and deliver tailored solutions that help your business meet its goals and growth ambitions. From our base in Malton, we deliver proactive IT support and services across York, North and East Yorkshire. We have a strong track record in delivering impactful IT to clients across a wide range of sectors, including manufacturing, design and insurance, among many others. We focus on maintaining, optimising and securing your digital estate, so you can focus on the growth and success of your business. Contact our team and let us start our journey together today.