The successful completion of this process requires expertise in the needs and functions of the business itself, of course, but there’s more. According to a new study by the International Data Corporation (ICD), spending on AI in business is on track to reach $35.8 billion in 2019, an increase of over 44% from 2018. But companies that don’t pay as much attention to training the software as they do the software itself, will not reap the depth of benefits they seek.
The Cost
Another study found that the average marketing professional spends five hours and thirty-six minutes collating data and preparing it for use. That’s more than twelve percent of a person’s average work week, or eleven days a year. Imagine what that person would be free to do if twelve percent of their week was suddenly opened up. No longer spending hours collecting and prepping data, they could use the time to gain insight from the data collected, spend more time building relationships with customers, or tackling projects that have been waiting on the backburner. Let’s look at it in terms of dollars: a company that pays a marketing professional $75,000 a year is spending $9,375 of that on duties that AI can do instead. That’s the potential of truly optimized AI.
Training AI
Once AI software is developed, the architecture implemented and the data migrated, the intensive process of training begins. Training goes beyond teaching the program how to access the data end users will need. RSDC understands that AI is for humans, not other machines. For that reason, the RSDC team partners with customers to develop a deep understanding of the company, but more importantly, of the people within it. In exterior-facing applications, such as a customer service chat bot, RSDC goes further to understand the varying needs of the public user. How will customers ask for the information differently than employees? How can the AI experience be crafted to deepen customer loyalty and even increase sales?
Talking to AI
This is where a very specific technique comes in: Natural Language Processing (NLP). After building a solid understanding of the people that will use the software, RSDC specialists shape the AI to enable the software to accurately grasp the intent of the inquiry and reply with the correct data. By comparison, scripted voice recognition systems require users to respond in a specific way to a limited range of options. Inquiries stated outside the script are rejected and the software is unable to continue. If you’ve ever been stuck on a customer service line in the, “I did not catch that, please try again,” loop, you know how frustrating it can be. Utilizing NLP means that users can ask anything within the scope of the data using every day, even colloquial terms. Imagine being able to call your utilities company and, instead of weaving your way through endless sub menus or waiting endlessly on hold, you simply say, “I can’t remember if I paid my bill,” the system automatically looks up your last payment and tells you when the next payment is due.
RSDC is Ready
It is critical to have a team that understands your business, and comes prepared with the skills, expertise, and project management experience to see it through. We understand the wide range of driving factors and applications for AI and machine learning. We have a solid track record of beginning with a customer’s excellent ideas and vision, and fulfilling them with greater depth and value than expected.
How might your company benefit from AI? Contact us today to open the conversation.