For many years, scientists have predicted a world filled with automation where humans start to play an increasingly redundant role. However, while these forecasts were largely considered the stuff of science fiction, recent advancements in the sophistication of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are rapidly making an automated world a reality.
AI is starting to transform all facets of business and industry, driving better efficiency and resulting in huge savings in terms of both time and money for firms. Many experts suggest the world is currently in the throes of a fourth industrial revolution – driven mostly by automation and the ever-growing potential of AI to disrupt the traditional business model.
The role of AI in the workplace
The applications of AI in the workplace are wide-ranging and can be used to the benefit of almost any company. No matter the business type, size or market sector you work in, AI and machine learning could help streamline your operations:
AI and manufacturing:
Robots have been a common feature in the manufacturing process for many years but with AI their power and scope of ability are starting to increase exponentially. Using AI, manufacturers can drive even bigger reductions in the cost of manufacture by relying more on automation, thereby further reducing the human workload and freeing up manpower for other, more profitable uses.
Predictive maintenance:
In a typical manufacturing business model, industrial machinery and equipment receive scheduled maintenance – whether it’s required or not – often resulting in wasted time, money and resources. Using AI, individual components within machinery can be monitored autonomously, with machines predicting when repair or replacements are required, vastly reducing maintenance budgets.
AI and the office space:
AI is increasingly being implemented in the office environment to look after everything from accounts and payroll duties to staff productivity monitoring. With AI, it’s now even possible to automate the entire sales process performed by companies with stock levels, online ordering and processing, delivery options and even follow-up customer care emails all being automated through using AI systems. By employing Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms, companies can provide unrivaled care and attention to clients and guide them through every stage of the purchasing process.
Reducing waste and eliminating over-ordering:
All companies – big and small – are guilty of waste. AI systems can be used to monitor and maintain your inventory and ordering procedures, only purchasing items when they’re actually needed. For example, AI could monitor your paper-usage or check your supply of recycling bailing wire and only order more when stocks are running low, potentially resulting in massive money savings for your firm. Intelligent ordering can prove particularly beneficial when it comes to time-sensitive, perishable items such as food. Nonetheless, it’s very common for companies to find themselves cash-strapped from time to time, with valuable funds tied up in stock or consumables that they simply didn’t need yet.
Reducing utility bills and energy use:
As the world becomes more aware of the dangers presented by climate change, there is considerable pressure on firms to employ more environmentally-aware practices across all facets of their operations. AI can offer significant energy-use reductions by automatically switching off machinery, heating or lights when they’re not in use.
