Do You Really Need AI for Your Business?
Right now, every CEO wants to “add AI” because it sounds sexy to investors. But as an engineer, I look at this with a mix of irony and professional pain. We’re trying to attach a jet engine to a cart that has square Excel tables instead of wheels.
Article
The Problem
“Are you automating with AI? Is AI already working for you? AI will replace your managers” — sound familiar?
This is my pain point. When businesses come asking for process automation and immediately request AI. But AI is not a cure-all, and it doesn’t work in a vacuum. Otherwise, it’s just AI for the sake of AI.
Why Your Business Isn’t Ready for AI (Yet)
If your data is scattered across messengers, scraps of paper, and files named Report_final_copy_2.xlsx, any neural assistant will simply scale your chaos.
In 60% of cases, businesses don’t need GPT-4. They need a proper process audit and migration from Excel to a unified database. AI is an add-on, not a foundation.
Real Case
A large catering company reaches out for help — processes take too much time. After analysis, it turns out the entire system runs on Excel and manual labor.
Would AI help them? No.
But a unified database instead of piles of Excel sheets and a CRM? Yes.
What to Do Before Implementing AI
I’ve long come to realize that you need to start not with “where to shove AI” but with the client’s real problems and optimal solutions to their pain.
Before buying an OpenAI API subscription:
1. Process inventory — list all processes where a person simply transfers data from one window to another. What’s done manually that could be automated? Do you have a proper database?
2. Kill the Excel dependency — if your system runs on macros from 2018, you’re in the danger zone. Migrating to proper architecture is boring but necessary.
3. Process audit — identify weak points and work on those specifically. More often than not, problems can be solved with simple tools that will be more effective than another AI assistant.
When AI Is Actually Needed
When your “machine” is already running smoothly — then you can think about implementing AI into existing processes for acceleration and improvement.
Conclusion
So does everyone really need AI? No. AI is not a cure-all. Sometimes it’s better not to touch things if everything works like clockwork.
No comments yet. Be the first to comment.