As we approach 2025, businesses are navigating an increasingly digital landscape where emerging technologies hold the promise of significant transformation. AI implementation is becoming a critical focus, and successful deployment requires strategic planning, expertise, and a clear understanding of the challenges and benefits involved. From artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to the Internet of Things (IoT), the potential to drive growth, drive innovation, streamline operations, and create competitive advantages is greater than ever, making AI essential in today's digital landscape.
However, identifying the right technologies and integrating them seamlessly into your operations requires strategic planning and expert guidance. Effective AI integration, supported by expert managed service providers (MSP), is key to successfully deploying and managing AI technologies. Much like businesses struggled in the early days of cloud computing and the Internet of Things to understand where those technologies added value, struggle with AI adoption and integration, facing unique challenges in the process. If you, like so many organizations, are still in the "watch and wait" phase - observing to see how AI and automation may provide new opportunities for cost-saving and enhancing efficiency in your industry, we have tips for you on how to plan a smooth transition when adopting AI solutions so your organization can minimize disruptions and maximize benefits.
Key Takeaways
- Emerging technologies like AI, automation, and IoT can drive operational efficiency and competitive advantage when aligned with business goals
- These technologies also deliver tangible benefits, such as measurable improvements in productivity, customer satisfaction, and overall business performance.
- Evaluating ROI, scalability, usability, and security is essential before investing in new tech solutions, as this helps businesses make informed decisions.
- Pilot programs and clear adoption policies help businesses implement innovation thoughtfully and successfully, while improving service quality across the organization.
At Exigent Technologies, we specialize in helping small to midsized businesses (SMBs) harness innovative technologies through The Exigent Method—our proven approach to delivering tailored, scalable, and secure IT solutions. While many of our recommendations revolve around more proven technology, we thought the last week of 2024 was the perfect time to brainstorm about cutting-edge technologies that might help businesses achieve success in 2025.
Can Your Business Take Advantage of Emerging Tech?
Regardless of what innovative tech you are considering, before jumping in, take the time to really consider and define business objectives tied to the technology under consideration. It is crucial to understand your business needs and business requirements when selecting and implementing new technologies, ensuring solutions are tailored to your organization's specific goals and can adapt as those needs evolve. For example:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): If your goal is to enhance customer experience, AI-powered chatbots or predictive analytics can provide personalized interactions and insights.
- Automation: Streamlining back-office operations like invoicing or inventory management could free up resources for strategic initiatives.
- IoT: For businesses focused on operational efficiency, IoT devices can enable real-time monitoring of equipment or assets.
Each business is different, and within your organization, you may find certain lines of business may benefit from an emerging technology while others do not. While we always recommend aligning tech investments with your overall business strategy, we also understand that some technology can be evaluated in one department to understand its value, potential use cases, and any challenges.
One example is Generative AI. Many marketing departments have found extreme efficiencies using tools such as ChatGPT. During the pilot phase, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of different AI algorithms to determine those that best fit your organization. Allowing your team to explore and test the technology is a great opportunity to "test drive" an innovative technology. From there, either your IT team or your MSP can review options and map out a strategic plan to integrate that emerging technology in other areas.
Evaluating ROI, Operational Efficiency, and Scalability of Emerging Technologies
Let's be honest, even in today's digital world of applications and technologies on demand, implementing emerging technologies has costs associated, and small to mid-sized businesses must balance costs and benefits carefully – no matter the cool factor of an innovative app or technology. The costs of AI adoption can be a significant barrier, but MSPs can help mitigate these expenses by offering scalable solutions and access to skilled professionals. Additionally, many organizations face talent gaps when it comes to AI and ML projects, and managed services can help by providing specialized talent that would otherwise be difficult or costly to add in-house. To evaluate AI for your organization, consider:
- Return on Investment (ROI): Calculate the expected cost savings, revenue growth, or efficiency gains a technology will deliver.
- Scalability: Assess whether the solution can grow with your business or adapt to evolving needs.
- Usability: Can this technology be used widely in your business and deliver benefits across multiple use cases?
- Adoptability: Cutting-edge technology is sexy. There, we said it. But for those employees who are not digital natives, or simply struggle with new IT tools, adopting innovative tech can be overwhelming, leading to a lack of engagement and undercutting that ROI you so carefully calculated.
- Security: Never overlook the security baked into new tools or applications, particularly if your organization is regulated. Early Gen AI adopters found out quickly that security and privacy within AI tools wasn't up to snuff and some paid a significant price for that oversight.
Managed services can deliver end to end solutions that support operational excellence and provide a strategic advantage for your business.
Best Practices for AI Adoption
Respected technology analyst firm Gartner offers a deep dive into Gen AI in its series on innovative technology, alongside some tips for getting started that can easily be adapted for many innovative technology implementations.
- Start inside. Before using generative AI to create customer- or other external-facing content, test extensively with internal stakeholders and employee use cases. For other innovative solutions, start implementations by understanding how that solution integrates with or potentially disrupts existing infrastructure. Careful planning for AI implementation and AI integration is essential to ensure minimal disruption to your current IT systems. Some examples:
- AI and Automation: Start with pilot projects that target specific pain points, such as automating data entry or improving supply chain forecasting. These initiatives can provide measurable ROI and insights into scalability.
- Customer Service: Explore the role of virtual AI assistants and natural language processing to enhancing customer support and streamline internal workflows.
- IoT: Evaluate whether your IoT devices can integrate seamlessly with existing systems and expand as your operational needs grow.
- Prize transparency. Be forthcoming with your audiences about the use of AI or any tech that could be misinterpreted as a human being in a conversation, digital exchange, or other situation.
- Due diligence. Set up processes and guardrails to track glitches, measure outcomes and constantly review for problems. Be certain to assign a "buck stops here" person who owns this implementation and can field inquiries and complaints alike.
- Address privacy and security concerns. Evaluate all new technology for security, privacy, or compliance concerns.
- Take it slow. Keep functionality in beta for an extended period.
- Craft clear policies for use cases throughout the process. Don't wait until your tool is in widespread use to craft appropriate policies for its usage. Your policies should address appropriate usage, oversight and accountability contacts, and any cautionary guidelines needed, particularly in the early adoption stages.
By setting clear goals, evaluating ROI and scalability, and ensuring smooth integration, you can unlock the full potential of cutting-edge tools. Many success stories highlight how businesses have effectively adopted AI and automation to achieve measurable results and address diverse challenges. While cutting-edge technologies can be wrought with pitfalls and glitches, thoughtful investment in stable, proven emerging solutions can position your business for sustained growth and success.
