The buzz around Generative AI (Gen AI) promises a future where automation and efficiency reign supreme. While the potential is undeniable, many businesses find themselves hesitant to embrace this new technology. Fear not! At Mero, we believe that Gen AI is not a threat, but a powerful tool waiting to be harnessed. Implementing Gen AI can bring considerable benefits if done thoughtfully.
Let’s dive into the two key areas where Gen AI can unlock real value for your business.
Assistants and Automation for enhanced business efficiency
Assistants – Gen AI assistants can revolutionise your business operations. Imagine an assistant that can rewrite emails and documents, or write code to speed up development. This value-add is especially attractive to innovators. However, crucial considerations include standardisation and security. Most free Gen AI models harvest your questions and responses for reuse, which can be problematic. Early adopters were alarmed when sensitive application code was publicly redistributed after developers used Gen AI for code assistance. To protect your information, we highly recommend using a fully air-gapped Gen AI service like the paid version of Google Gemini.
Automation – While Gen AI offers numerous benefits, its most significant impact lies in automation. By automating existing workflows and unlocking new business capabilities, implementing Gen AI empowers businesses to achieve significant gains. However, realising this full potential requires a concerted effort, making it a worthwhile investment that demands careful planning and implementation.
Implementing Gen AI effectively presents three key challenges
Vision
Translating a vision for Gen AI into actionable strategies can be daunting. Two common approaches emerge: relying on existing vendors who are rapidly integrating Gen AI into their legacy applications, a move that can feel like upgrading a clunky car with fancy new gadgets, if the underlying architecture limits revolutionary change; or proactively taking control with a “we are making it happen” mindset. The latter approach often faces hurdles related to skills, capabilities, and internal resistance.
To overcome these barriers, Mero offers a proven strategy: utilising our expertise alongside Google’s cutting-edge Gen AI and Analytics capabilities to launch small-scale Proof of Value (PoV) initiatives. These rapid prototypes, developed within 1-3 weeks, deliver working solutions (including mobile app examples) for business assessment and feedback, fostering engagement and driving success. As a Google partner, we can even access Google funding to potentially cover part or all of these initiatives for our customers, making Gen AI transformation more accessible than ever.
Business Change Management
Implementing Gen AI, like any disruptive technology, requires proactive business change management. While it can enhance efficiency in some areas, it may also necessitate adjustments or even redundancy in others. We’ve observed a strong drive for Gen AI initiatives from C-level executives, but often encounter resistance from departments whose workflows might be streamlined or eliminated. This can include data science teams and those tasked with internal solution development, who may feel their roles are at risk.
To navigate this potential pushback and ensure successful Gen AI implementation, businesses may benefit from expert guidance like that offered by Mero. This can help mitigate political inertia and prevent outright resistance, ensuring a smoother transition towards a Gen AI-powered future.
Skills/Capability
The possibilities of Gen AI are vast, offering a wide field of new opportunities that can be achieved in numerous ways. However, just like many endeavours, there are efficient and less efficient approaches. To achieve rapid development, leveraging the expertise of leading cloud analytics platforms provides the most straightforward path to building Gen AI capability.
Google stands as the undisputed leader in this field, which is why Mero has chosen to partner with them to deliver generative AI solutions. Modern architectures allow us to deliver Gen AI applications and capabilities as a service, seamlessly integrating them with existing systems.
Ready to look at Gen AI for your business?
Learn more about Mero’s approach to AI and what we deliver to help New Zealand businesses harness the power of Gen AI and this transformative technology. Or get in touch for a chat about your business objectives and challenges, we’d love to help.