When your business brings in new technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI), there are sure to be challenges. Adoption is hard, and there are important areas to consider when taking on any tech. Through the Technology in Professional Services (TiPS) project, we work with around 30 small and mid-tier law and accountancy firms who have been thinking about using AI for some time, but who had not yet turned intention into action. We are helping businesses respond to the well-recognised challenge of technology adoption. With some, we work to train them on the basics of AI application using technology they already have. With others, we bring cohorts of companies together, allowing them to learn from mentors and network over a period of eight-10 months. We also have a group of three firms that are advanced adopters. We are helping them to super-charge their use of technology. Across the firms, we have encountered certain challenges on a regular basis. We have come to see them not as problems, but rather opportunities to do things in a different way to ensure a greater chance of success. Adoption can be smoothed by recognising the obstacles ahead of time and addressing the issues headon. If you acknowledge a challenge, you can tackle it. While our work has been with law and accountancy firms, many of our lessons will also be actionable at a wide range of professional services and other companies. Here we present some of the challenges everyone will need to address at some point in their technology adoption journey. BUSINESS CONTEXT Assessing the state of your business, and where you stand in terms of need, capability and capacity is a first step. Different technologies bring different benefits. Understanding the kind of project you are engaging with, what kind of benefit you might gain, and who will benefit, is essential. You might think it is all about the return on investment by saving time and cutting costs. But there are other reasons for adoption. It might be about improving work-life balance for staff by reducing workload; making sure your firm is up to date enough to attract young talent; or providing access to services for underserved communities. There are many ways you can gain value. Getting started does not mean planning a project for 10 years. There will always be uncertainty – you cannot know everything, and if you want to wait until you do, you will never actually do anything. But you do need a coherent idea that guides your project. USE CASES One way of refining your idea for a project is to think about use cases. Does your business need AI or another technology? If so, where will you use it – and how? Demonstrating a definite use case for technology rather than talking in generalities and hypotheticals is a major challenge. You need concrete examples of positive application if you are going to invest time, money and resources. Think about what you need the technology for in the first place. Where could it benefit your business? Where could it save time and resources? You also need to think carefully about what kind of project is most appropriate. What capability and capacity do you have when it comes to tech adoption? An all-pervasive project might be attractive and deliver big changes and benefits, but they are more complex, riskier and perhaps not suitable for those who have never run a tech adoption programme before. It may be best to start with something small, such as saving time on expense claims. You can then learn and build from that initial experience. 16 |
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