Why AI is a change project, not a tech project

AI is a change project, not a tech project. Why? Because success doesn’t rely on how good the technical solution is. It relies on how well it’s integrated and adopted.

Think of any AI solution you could use in your organisation and I’ll wager that it will impact someone’s job somewhere. And how will they view your flashy technology? As a threat? Probably. What about management? Will your solution make a manager’s headcount reduce from 50 to 20? If so, how do you think they’ll take it?

Like it or not, regardless of how ready the technology is, you’re dealing with egos, empire building, job protection, impulsive and defensive behaviour, a lack of trust, a lack of understanding and big concerns about individual jobs… It’s culture. Hearts and minds.

You see, you could build the best AI sales assistant the world’s ever seen, but if your sales team aren’t on board, it’s useless.

You might have the best procurement AI agent imaginable, but if your procurements team see it as a threat to their livelihood, they simply won’t use it.

You could have the best customer service AI capability customers have been dreaming of, but if the Contact Centre manager views it as a threat to their empire, they’ll do whatever they can to prevent it.

Making lasting change

To make AI a success long term in a way that transforms your business, you need to bring your people with you. You need to change the culture. You need to manage change. To do that, you need to accomplish four crucial things:

1. Involve the department from the outset. No one wants anything to be done to them. They’ll feel like they’re not in control. It’s their job. Their department. Their process. If they’re not in control, you’ll fail. Once you’ve implemented your new flashy solution and you turn around to walk out of the door, you’ll see the team drift straight back into their old habits, circumnavigating the system with workarounds or just defaulting back to the way they’ve always done it. You have to get support from the outset and that starts by involving the right people.

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About Kane Simms

Kane Simms is the front door to the world of AI-powered customer experience, helping business leaders and teams understand why AI technologies are revolutionising the way businesses operate.

He's a Harvard Business Review-published thought-leader, a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' for both Artificial Intelligence and Customer Experience, who helps executives formulate the future of customer experience ad business automation strategies.

His consultancy, VUX World, helps businesses formulate business improvement strategies, through designing, building and implementing revolutionary products and services built on AI technologies.

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