Abstract
In this chapter, three sections will provide an in-depth look that focuses on questions to ask when deciding if an AI solution meets business goals, AI technologies to consider when meeting business goals, and best practices to use when identifying an AI company based on services provided when building an AI solution that meets business needs. Artificial intelligence is a fast-growing technology that has provided available options for companies to be more efficient. AI companies continue to pop up and existent companies continue to expand services. It can be overwhelming trying to understand how to choose the right consultant to build AI products and to identify what processes to strategize when using it. Starting with the business side of AI will identify business goals, strategies to be successful, and will ensure that an institution chooses the best partner to meet efficiency needs. These areas do not change as often as AI technology and will provide a starting point to choose the right AI technology without the feeling of being overwhelmed from all options available.
TopQuestions To Ask When Deciding If An Ai Solution Meets Business Goals
Why do I need to Identify Goals?
Before deciding if AI will provide efficiency for an overworked staff, business goals need to be identified. Specifically written goals will provide the answer to the important question, “what areas are important to include when evaluating an AI company to partner with for business needs.” Goals provide clear specifications and scope to ensure the project is not too large to complete while ensuring it has a focus that aligns with business needs. Many projects have failed because decision-makers did not take the time to identify, document, and create a timeline for goals to be accomplished.
One option is to write goals based on the SMART concept. There are many free resources that assist with writing goals that will identify an institution’s most important objectives. SMART is the acronym, be Specific, make it Measurable, realistic Achievement of the goal, ensuring it is Relevant to positively impact an institution, and creating an essential Time deadline to ensure that all goals are met before priorities change (Eby, 2019). Adding to the SMART goal concept is to consider the type and availability of technology. Not all technology should be used as a problem-solver. This includes AI.
Many AI companies will provide a service to assist in writing goals. This service will align business needs, SMART goals, and AI technology together. Choosing AI requires specific goals that are not too broad. Once an institution has produced identified goals, they can be used to begin a partnership with an AI company. Choose one goal and map out how AI can assist. This will provide a realistic viewpoint on whether AI is the best solution for meeting the goal. The next several questions will help to determine the feasibility of AI to meet the goal and to gain efficiency for business practices.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Train-the-Trainer: A training program that provides subject matter expertise to internal team members to teach other members of the organization.
Vendor: A person or company that sells a service or product.
Return on Investment: A documented financial or efficiency gain that will be obtained by implementing an artificial intelligence technology.
Out-of-the-Box Solution: Technology that is generalized to meet the needs of certain areas or functionality, such as Chatbots, to answer frequently asked questions related to a policy or procedure.
SMART Goals: The acronym of, be specific, is it measurable, can a company achieve the goal, how relevant is it to positively impact your company, and time is essential to ensure you can meet the goal before priorities change.
Natural Language Processing: Technology that understands the spoken and written human language and uses it to train artificial intelligence solutions.
ChatBot: An artificial intelligence technology that is trained on frequently asked questions to provide general answers.
Application Programming Interface: A software-to-software interface.
Intents: Typically used in chatbots, it is the information a user wants to get out of the interaction with artificial intelligence technology.
Business Goals: The aim or direction an institution works toward with effort and determination.