On the 4th of June a conference about the use of artificial intelligence in business, AI Conference Kyiv 2019, will take place in Kyiv. Business owners, top managers, heads of IT departments, developers and marketing specialists will talk about the latest trends in the field.
Strategic Marketing Manager at SMART business Andrii Burlutskyi will speak at the conference with a topic – “AI Marketing Injection: How technologies help in customer intelligence, segmentation, and forecasting”. In the interview with AI Conference Kyiv 2019 Andrii shared his thoughts on the integration of AI into Ukrainian companies and its impact on society.
Interviewer: AI Conference Kyiv (AI)
Respondent: Andriy Burlutskyi (A.B.)
AI: How does artificial intelligence develop business (increases revenue, causes robust competition)?
A.B.: Artificial intelligence allows companies to transform the industry they are engaged in and create innovations. Certainly, it has a positive impact on business growth and enables fair competition. We can see this based on the results of projects in the countries where we have our clients or SMART business offices: from Germany to Azerbaijan and from the Netherlands to Ukraine.
The emergence and development of AI have resulted in the competition paradigm change. Technologies have become so available that companies can easily produce a high-quality product. Therefore, it is the brand and the way companies communicate with clients that come to the fore now. AI encourages a company’s development, allows to allocate available customer data, create a unique consumer experience.
We aim to provide businesses with the necessary tools so that companies can shift from an analogue to the digital state, reshape their activities, and gain the desired outcomes. Namely:
– create new methods of operations and customer attraction;
– integrate technologies and digital elements into the products and services;
– optimize business processes and data-driven decision making;
– provide employees with smart tools so that they perform their work within digital business and economy.
AI: How has the marketing sector changed after the adoption of AI solutions?
A.B.: Companies that have integrated AI into their operations can better realize purchasing process and customer behavior, for example, outflow. Machine learning algorithms can analyze bulks of data and give accurate recommendations about each client. It helps marketing teams to understand what to recommend, when, and through which communication channel.
It is much easier to offer a high-quality and useful product when you know the behavior and character of your client. At the same time, consumers obtain a relevant product without wasting time on searching for goods on the Internet.
“It is still impossible to apply artificial intelligence wherever, but it is too late not to use it at all”
AI: How extensively are Ukrainian companies adopting AI? What challenges are they facing?
A.B.: The most common challenge is the absence of data and their sources. One should have properly structured data in order to benefit from AI solutions. During digitalization of data, companies have access to a huge amount of information, but not all of them can manage it properly. In such conditions, companies should apply intelligent CRM and ERP systems that automate the data management process as well as they should engage data scientists to enhance the outcome efficiency.
The second problem is understanding of technologies and your ultimate goal. It is not enough just to integrate AI into operations: you should realize how these technologies could positively affect company’s business processes. That is why we attend such events as AI Conference Kyiv: in order to show technologies’ potential, features, and case studies of their application.
The final issue is employees’ concerns about technologies. We have repeatedly heard that “conservatives” are skeptical about innovations or afraid of being replaced by robots. However, from experience, I can say that this problem vanishes as soon as the staff members see the efficiency of solutions and positive results. Then, they understand that technologies are intended to simplify operations rather than steal their jobs.
I believe that it is too soon to apply artificial intelligence wherever, but too late not to use it at all. I would like to bring this message to businesses.
AI: How does the integration of AI technologies affect final consumers? Do clients recognize artificial intelligence, or it has not yet reached the level of direct interaction?
A.B.: Absolutely, the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning is altering consumer experience. Quite often, consumers feel positive changes in brand communication already in the first months after the integration.
For example, addition of the client geographic location factor and sending of geo push notifications lead to the WOW effect. A person who is passing by the store receives an SMS where he or she is addressed by the name with the relevant offer. It might seem as a trifle, but this aspect has a strong impact on customer’s loyalty to the brand and the products.
Surely, chatbots have not yet reached the level of human speech, but in certain cases, clients can recognize artificial intelligence. Nevertheless, with advancing technologies such a difference will soon become invisible to the naked eye. Chatbots have already evolved into digital assistants that can recognize speech and take certain actions, including calling, buying, answering, or ordering.
AI: You are a permanent participant of various specialized events. What is their role in the development of new technologies?
A.B.: A vital role! Due to the increasing amount of conferences, business representatives, young specialists and developers are becoming aware of AI possibilities. Speakers show solutions that have moved beyond experimental. This improves the Ukrainian IT community: peoples’ understanding and the level of tasks they work with are growing.
More companies not only becoming more interested in AI, but they also have started adopting technologies to solve business objectives: from retail representatives to manufacturing facilities. Machine learning algorithms help to optimize stock management, predict the demand and efficiency of advertising campaigns.
AI: Continuing the topic of events: you will speak at AI Conference Kyiv. What will you tell attendees?
A.B.: At the conference I will talk about AI marketing injections: how to control customer experience using data analytics and artificial intelligence technologies, how to conduct the market segmentation in terms of behavioral patterns with AI solutions, how artificial intelligence determines what should be changed in customer relationship.
I will introduce the possibilities and effectiveness of such technologies based on SMART business solutions and client case studies.
Artificial intelligence is becoming the foundation of everything we do. The company provides such services as development, integration, and support of ERP and CRM systems and for two consecutive years has been a member of the closed community aimed at AI industry growth, Microsoft AI Inner Circle.
Our current expertise includes intelligent BPMSs as well as systems based on predictive analytics and artificial intelligence. These aspects will be interesting to everyone.