The Future of AI: What Impact Will It Have On SMBs?

AI can empower SMEs by enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, improving customer experiences, and providing valuable insights. As AI technology continues to advance, its benefits for SMEs are likely to grow even further, making it a valuable investment for business growth and sustainability. Constantly changing customer needs are also a disruptive force for SMBs as business users expect—if not demand—their work applications be similar, if not better, than what they experience in their personal lives. As cyber criminals continue to bolster their attacks with AI, small businesses must react and build AI-powered security solutions into their tech stacks to ensure adequate protection. This technology should be incorporated on top of existing ‘Zero Trust’ security frameworks. Zero Trust assumes that nothing in the network can be trusted and helps mitigate risks of unauthorised access to confidential company information through least-privilege access at each stage of digital interaction.

AI-powered activity tracking provides users with guidance on time management and prioritization. More time can be allocated to critical tasks, while time-wasting activities are identified. This empowers users to manage their workflows more efficiently and concentrate their time on essential tasks, leading to improved productivity. Efficiency is the key to success in the business world, and companies are constantly seeking various methods to make their processes more efficient. Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into Worktivity provides a powerful tool for enhancing business efficiency.

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However, with the average global cost of a single breach around $3.62 million, prioritising security investment is critical. A strong security strategy is essential to support the longevity of business development and reduce potential for costly breaches. A 2022 Forrester report found that 90% of firms said improving their ransomware attack response capabilities is a top priority, with 51% noting that they lost customer trust after such an attack. Enterprise Nation research found a quarter (25%) of SMBs are buying technology and not using these tools due to lack of knowledge and training. The research found the experience of wasting resources left businesses feeling short changed. Worktivity’s AI automatically tracks and analyzes user activities, such as how much time employees spend working, which applications they use, and where they dedicate most of their time.

With the ability to process and analyze complex data sets, AI technology can provide actionable recommendations and predictive analytics that can improve business outcomes. Despite recognising these benefits, IT teams still often view cloud migrations as risky. Meanwhile, MSPs should ensure they deliver services that truly benefit their customers.

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It all comes down to giving them the tools to do more for customers — which in turn drives customer loyalty and referrals. This means businesses can change the code, allowing for more customisable options instead of relying on plug-ins and standard integrations. If you pick open-source software as your customer service solution, you may need a highly skilled IT team with programming experience to complete the customisation you desire.

From crafting personalised marketing strategies for each business, to automated marketing campaigns, Agent Lunar manages it all, ensuring that even SMBs can harness powerful, data-driven insights. Customer service software helps businesses improve customer service by unifying customer conversations and information across channels and systems in a single location. The right solution integrates with the tools that make it easier for your teams to provide top-tier support. Businesses understand the importance of investing in collaboration tools and its impact on internal and external customer support. Customer service software offers tools and integrations —with platforms like Slack, Asana, or Trello—to provide real-time and asynchronous communication and notifications.

“During the pandemic, agility has never been more crucial, with the necessity of remote working, collaboration tools and security protocols to implement. To support this, you can access all Microsoft Business Central modules and support any business in terms of uniqueness. All these Business Central modules are available to all users, but at varying levels of licensing. Such users can access anything they need to access the full functionalities of MS D365 BC to efficiently run a small business.

You may have a FAQ page, but if the customer doesn’t quite know how to phrase their question or know what to look for, they’ll likely just contact you. By proactively addressing security concerns in AI consulting, small businesses can ensure the protection of sensitive data, adhere to privacy regulations, and reduce the risk of cyberattacks. Ultimately, these measures lay the foundation for successful and secure AI implementation.

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Our team becomes an extension of your own So if you’re looking for bespoke solutions surrounding IT, cybersecurity, iRPA or tech infrastructure, make sure to look into everything we have to offer. This type of technology also calls for strides in AI and chatbots, which will naturally come closer together as customers use them more and more. The marriage of these technologies produces innovative chatbots that can respond, predict and converse more naturally.

In the fast-paced realm of AI for business, maintaining a cutting edge is both a challenge and a necessity, especially for SMEs. Positioned at the intersection of innovation and practicality, our team offers unparalleled guidance in the AI arena. With each passing year, AI further cements its position SMB AI Support Platform as an indispensable tool in diverse business sectors. The introduction of AI into a business isn’t just a technical challenge; it’s a cultural one. Employees, accustomed to traditional ways of working, might view AI with skepticism or fear, concerned about its implications on their roles.

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Conversational AI can also understand if the customer is experiencing an issue—say, on the company’s shopping cart page—and proactively reach out through the chat window to offer assistance. In our CX Trends Report, 72 percent of customers surveyed said AI improves the quality of customer service. AI chatbots learn from each interaction and can become more natural as they get more practice, offering friendly, personalised service across channels. Email is the bread and butter of customer support and remains a preferred channel, especially among older generations. Human resources, payroll, and IT teams can use email to answer questions for full- and part-time employees. Meet customers on their preferred communication channels for a seamless, convenient customer experience.

For small businesses, AI is elevating them to enable competition with even their largest competitors. Meanwhile, a study from SMB IT market research and industry analyst firm Techaisle, showed that just five years ago most SMBs were still evaluating how they could use cloud software to address their business needs. However, by 2020, 80 per cent of small businesses and 99 per cent of mid-market organisations were using it to support some, or all, of their business processes.

Putting the information in the hands of the right people, based on their roles and responsibilities, also establishes control. Ensuring the right people have access to the information SMB AI Support Platform they need is vital, so they can make informed decisions in a timely manner. Simply put, if an ERP system does not meet your company’s current business needs, it’s time to change.

The on-premises deployment model has been around for a long time, and people still prefer it over other options when data security is a top priority. You can deploy it on your own servers, depending on your desired hardware and software specifications. To run the system 24×7, you will need a lot of resources, including IT support and other resources to support the entire system. Generally, there are three deployment options available for all business needs, i.e., cloud, on-premises, and hybrid. You need to be proactive while selecting the best deployment option because it can enhance the overall efficiency of the business if chosen correctly. For example, if you choose on-premises deployment options but do not want to invest in a high initial cost, you are making the wrong decision.