Empowering Operations teams with Generative AI

Generative AI (GenAI) has taken the world by storm with its endless possibilities, but how can operations professionals use it to their advantage? We deep dived into real world examples, tools and in-depth conversation about both possibilities and worries of GenAI.

GenAI presents a significant opportunity for operations teams to

• automate tasks
• optimize processes
• gain data insights
• improve efficiency, decision-making, and resource allocation

Attendees discovered the sheer power of GenAI, learned why it should be embraced, and considered what to bear in mind when assessing GenAI tools for operations teams.

Through breakout discussions, participants shared their experiences and explored how GenAI can act as a catalyst, enabling their organizations to scale effectively and empower their teams. This event inspired new ideas and helped shape how businesses use GenAI in their operations.

Scroll down to get the findings! 💡

Learnings from ops leaders

1. GenAI as a Tool: GenAI should be viewed as a tool to solve specific operational problems rather than a standalone solution.
2. Security and Privacy: Addressing concerns about data security and privacy is crucial, with solutions like Qatalog offering data-safe AI implementations.
3. High-Impact Areas: Identify areas with significant pain points where GenAI can make the most impact, such as customer support and internal documentation.
4. Balance Automation with Human Interaction: Ensure automation does not eliminate valuable human interactions, especially in processes like onboarding.
5. Data Management: Effective GenAI integration requires robust data management practices to ensure accuracy and reliability.
6. Use Case Identification: Clearly define use cases where GenAI can provide value, such as automating repetitive tasks and enhancing self-service capabilities.
7. Bias Mitigation: Be aware of potential biases in AI models and implement strategies to mitigate them.
8. Participant Insights: Sharing real-world experiences helps identify common challenges and solutions in AI implementation.
9. Custom Solutions: Consider developing custom AI solutions tailored to specific business needs, such as confidence-based response systems.
10. 80/20 Rule: Apply the 80/20 rule by automating routine tasks while reserving complex decision-making for human expertise.

Notes from the roundtable

What problems do you want to solve?

• Collecting and having access to data in one place
• Automating manual processes to speed things up
• Making it easier for employees to access policies and information
• Enabling customers and employees to be more self-reliant
• Reviewing large volumes of data to gather insights

Which areas need streamlining?

• Onboarding processes that differ by role
• Policy management and approvals
• Creating materials to answer specific questions
• Event and meet-up organization
• Purchasing, budgeting and inventory management
• Reporting and quantifying hours/spend
• Continuous learning and training for employees

What questions do you want people to self-service?

• Questions that are usually directed to the operations team via Slack
• Finding relevant policies, contracts, and documentation
• Determining which departments handle certain questions
• Accessing a knowledge base rather than relying on tailored presentations

What are you currently doing?

• Processes are very manual and human-reliant
• Information exists but is scattered across multiple sources and formats
• Using tools like Gong to record customer metadata but data is fragmented
• Reporting and data analysis is mostly done manually
• Relying on humans for tasks like diary management and sending emails

Summary of the Event

The event "Empowering Operations Teams with GenAI" with Qatalog focused on integrating generative AI (GenAI) into various business operations to enhance efficiency and problem-solving capabilities.

The session commenced with an introduction to GenAI, emphasizing its role as a tool for addressing specific operational challenges rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.

Participants discussed:

• the current use of AI in their organizations, primarily limited to individual tasks like content creation and documentation summarization
• expanding AI across teams and functions, addressing concerns such as security, accuracy, sources, and bias
• identifying high-impact areas where GenAI could solve key problems and streamline processes within organizations:
• collecting and centralizing data,
• automating manual tasks to improve efficiency,
• making policies and information more accessible to employees,
• enable greater self-reliance for customers and employees,
• analyzing large datasets to derive actionable insights

Several areas were identified as prime candidates for streamlining through GenAI:

• onboarding processes, which often vary by role and can be time-consuming;
• policy management and approvals, which involve complex workflows
• the creation of targeted materials to address specific questions
• optimizing
• event and meet-up organization,
• purchasing,
• budgeting,
• inventory management
• simplifying reporting (quantifying hours and spend)
• facilitating continuous learning and training for employees

The event underscored the importance of integrating GenAI in a way that complements human efforts, particularly for tasks requiring contextual understanding and complex decision-making.

If you have any questions about this discussion, or would like to learn more about Qatalog, get in touch with the team.