Too often, businesses greet the word “change” with an understandable shudder. The experience is that it is often expensive and disruptive – a zero-sum game. Is it not therefore gratifying to see a change that is indeed welcome? The software industry is presently undergoing precisely such a change. Some of us call it the “Great Software Revolution”; “revolution” being used to denote the breadth and depth of the change and “great” being used to quantify the potential benefits.
Through a gradual shift, driven chiefly by business demand, the costly software solutions that used to dominate the market are being supplanted. Where legacy products came with out-of-the box complexity, modern solutions are easy to use. Where older platforms were purse-drains that took years to generate returns, today’s replacements offer rapid value. New-gen software offers delight for customers, as opposed to stagnant experiences that directly lead to churn. This change is being brought about, in no small part, by artificial intelligence, the rise of which took many by surprise. Today, when we think and talk about more agile, impactful, cost-effective software applications, there is a pervading assumption that AI is somewhere in the mix and that the value it brings is sustainable.
Across industries and use cases, AI finds a home. It fits in almost anywhere. Call centres certainly benefit from its presence, as do factories, retail outlets, media companies, financial institutions, and on, and on. AI-powered systems, like butlers with hot towelettes, anticipate the needs of customers, engineers, lawyers, bankers – an endless list of decision makers is served by AI-infused customer relationship management (CRM) systems, IT service management (ITSM) systems, and more. The Great Software Revolution is streamlining operations, enhancing service delivery, and empowering teams.
Count the ways
Let us remember that much of the revolution is occurring as the result of AI, and AI crops up in numbers everywhere as the hero of productivity and value-add. This is best evidenced in the recent Freshworks study which found that the technology saves UAE workers an impressive 4.5 hours per week. And with 80 percent of UAE workers trusting workplace AI software to bring value to their work processes, it isn’t surprising to see that most are also using AI enabled software in their day-to-day work.
Around the world, the work weeks of employees are being transformed. Burdens are being relocated to AI – tasks such as minute-taking during meetings and the composition of summary reports of customer-contact sessions. If it is repetitive, it is likely eligible for automation. Vast reservoirs of freed-up labour hours are now available for tapping, allowing employees to devote more time to more challenging problems. If, for instance, an AI-driven ITSM platform can play the role of network monitor, it can identify and address vulnerabilities in real time – an undeniable boon to the IT team that used to spend its days applying patches or liaising with department heads to arrange a time for said patches. It is not difficult to see that AI gives two advantages in this use case – the operational resilience of never being behind on software patches but also a boost to the employee experience of IT practitioners at a time when retention of this talent is of paramount importance.
AI connects everything. When we talk about the Great Software Revolution, we talk often about the interconnectedness that replaces legacy workflows. In the olden days (of last year), software ecosystems suffered from fragmented workflows where CRM users would contact help desk technicians who would then use limited communication tools combined with manual checks on multiple dashboards to give delayed and frequently erroneous responses to frustrated end-users. Today’s unified platforms connect these functions. They automate data retrieval from CRM systems, prefill helpdesk tickets, and facilitate direct communication between support and IT teams. Issues are resolved more quickly and more accurately, and every stakeholder enjoys better outcomes.
Trenches and towers
Of course, any analysis of this revolution would be incomplete without dwelling on generative AI for a moment. GenAI gives the opportunity to democratise information access. More employees – specifically non-technical ones – can become informed about useful metrics. And that means more employees become potential innovators. Innovation requires metrics and context. Frontline employees may have all the context and none of the metrics. Senior executives may have all the metrics but none of the context. GenAI is adept at presenting both metrics and context in ways that account for employee role.
AI-powered ITSM platforms are the flesh and bones of the Great Software Revolution. They offer scalability and they offer an escape from constricting legacy environments. The integration headache is massaged away by affordable and user-friendly AI tools that unite information spaces and applications as never before. They enhance efficiency. They boost customer satisfaction.
In a digital economy, digital enterprises are the ones that thrive. But to be a digital enterprise, the business must be equal parts operations and technology. Agility and responsiveness simply cannot be delivered by outdated systems. Customer-facing teams must be supported by systems that allow them to redefine engagement. In the Great Software Revolution, AI bridges operational and informational gaps that have been loitering for years. It is okay to dream big; to imagine agile, cost-effective IT powered by agile, cost-effective AI tools. It is okay to picture the opportunities for brand recognition and revenue growth that accompany these new capabilities.
The experiences of customers and employees feed one another. Legacy systems create a loop of dissatisfaction and everything that goes with it – customer churn and workforce attrition. A modern environment, backed by AI-driven personalisation and streamlined workflows, does the opposite. Both employees and customers stick around, excited to see what the brand does next.
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