Top 3 Reasons to Include AI
in Your 2025 Resolutions
Kai Andrews
Data / AI / Power Platform Practice Leader
Well, here we are. We’ve crossed that magical line that represents the start of a “new” year and along with this milestone, comes the idea of fresh beginnings and maybe even a resolution or two. Many organizations spent 2024 pondering the value of AI and how to possibly integrate it into their business processes. I should know, I spoke with many of you! Others sat back and played the waiting game, wanting to see whether AI was here to stay. To all of you who have not taken that first step, may I recommend that you use the start of a new calendar year to plan and execute with intent.
Why now? Maybe the better question is, why not now? Here are three reasons why you should move forward with an AI initiative in 2025:
1. The Technology is Ready
While the capabilities continue to evolve at an incredible pace, the core technology behind artificial intelligence is mature enough to handle your enterprise needs. Whether you need to embrace a generative-AI chat-based bot that is built on a large-language model and natural-language processing, build a machine-learning model based on your unique data, or build a custom solution using advanced language, vision, or document processing, Microsoft’s Azure and Copilot offerings provide a safe and robust suite of tools to build your solution.
The Copilot capabilities have evolved greatly. Both out-of-box Microsoft 365 Copilot and declarative and/or custom agents built using Copilot Studio or the Azure AI Foundry are much more capable and full-featured than what was available a year ago at launch. If you were on the fence about previously dismissed these tools, it is worth revisiting these products and mapping out functionality to your business needs.
2. There is Value to Be Had
I’m not talking about some esoteric ROI calculation that produces as large percentage of return, but rather the real and tangible improvement of your business processes. At eGroup Enabling Technologies, every AI project we help our clients with is grounded in process change. We help you understand how work is being done today by mapping our process steps. We then sit down with you to identify areas for improvement. Sometimes there are redundant steps to be found.
Other times, there is an over-reliance on less-than-optimal tools (email for approval routing, anyone?) to get the work done. Eliminating or optimizing these work processes through the application of AI has immediate and valuable outcomes. Work is done faster. Capacity to do the work is increased, resulting in better utilized employees and less need to hire more people. Quality is improved by removing mundane steps from human hands. New insights are to be had through improved data analysis. And both employee and customer experience can be improved by providing faster and smarter interactions. You can measure these changes. You can observe these changes. And we can help you find them!
3. Solutions Can Be Pragmatic
Your venture into AI does not have to break the bank. While a large and very transformative change can be exciting and add a ton of value (and can be fun to be involved with as a consultant), not every initiative has to be months long and cost 6+ figures. Maybe a proof-of-concept is what is needed to show that AI is capable of solving your needs in a secure and safe way. Maybe it’s a small project to address an acute pain point to get you started. Having spent the last year implementing a variety of AI-based solutions for our customers, we have come to realize that AI solutions can be designed and built in a matter of weeks. Our iterative approach builds a functioning solution quickly and multiple decision points along the way let you evaluate whether to proceed or not. Our experience will help you balance your investment with producing the outcomes you desire.
And pragmatism does not end with managing a project’s cost. The technology used also comes into play. While AI is still the shiny and new toy, our architects and engineers will always let you know if AI is right for you. We won’t over-engineer a solution and will suggest other automation and process improvement approaches if they are the better fit. Now, you may elect to embrace AI regardless in order to prove out its worth, but at least you will possess all of the information you need to make the right decision for your business.
Meeting You Where You Are
So, where do we find you on your 2025 journey? We have a variety of offerings that will “meet you where you are.” All our offerings are grounded in the principles of safety, security, and responsible AI and we never forget about the human impact of adopting AI, incorporating robust change management practices to ensure that your workforce appreciates how AI can be a benefit and thereby adopts the new technology and ways of working.
If you need to build an AI strategy and roadmap, our AI Action Accelerator will help you find and prioritize AI opportunities in your business. Or maybe you have already identified your AI initiative and now need to design and build the solution. Our Design Sprint and AI Solution Implementation offerings will turn your vision into reality. And if all of these still seem too ambitious—simply reach out and set up a free consultative session to talk and learn more about AI in 2025. Here’s to an exciting year where we learn, explore and build, together.
We Can Help!
If you have questions about implementing AI in your organization or any of the concepts discussed in this article, contact our team at info@eGroup-us.com or complete the form below.
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