Bas de Vos, VP Technology Product Management at IFS, answers five questions so that organizations are well prepared to thoughtfully and successfully start working with AI.
What do you really need from AI?
Before you invest in AI, you need to know what you are really looking for. Although this seems obvious, many companies too quickly opt for the latest technology without fully understanding how it fits within their business strategy. What technology are you already using? And how does it currently contribute to your goals? Use this as your starting point. This helps you determine which tools are still missing, or how AI can be a valuable addition to your existing processes, enabling you to work faster and more efficiently. Then set clear, measurable goals for the technology you want to implement.
Is the data infrastructure ready for AI?
Before you can fully leverage AI, you need access to the data you want to work with. This data must be reliable and complete. It is estimated that more than 90 percent of large companies use some form of cloud technology, but the number that has actually migrated their data to the cloud or a hybrid environment is much lower. To truly make an impact with AI, access to all business data is necessary - and that requires a lot of capacity. It is therefore essential that organizations invest time in establishing a seamless data infrastructure that can support the desired AI technology and enable real-time decision-making.
In the manufacturing industry, for example, AI can be used to detect machine failures early and schedule preventive maintenance. But if performance data is scattered across outdated systems, the AI model misses crucial information. The result: inaccurate analyses and unexpected downtime. By ensuring that data is always available and complete, companies gain real-time insights, and AI can recognize patterns and intervene in time. This keeps production running smoothly and prevents unnecessary costs.
Do we have the right people and skills in-house?
AI is not a magical solution that automatically takes care of everything. The people in your organization need to understand it too. For example, set up a special AI committee within your organization, consisting of people who are trained to become AI experts. Give them the responsibility to select and test the right tools, to act as a liaison between the organization and suppliers, and to train colleagues for a smooth implementation. It also gives people the opportunity to ask their questions or express doubts, as you prefer to address those directly.
How do you weave AI into your strategy?
A successful AI implementation requires a solid plan. Which teams or employees will have access to new tools when? What training is needed and for which applications will AI be used? Once you have mapped out the needs and possibilities, it is time for an integration plan that helps you determine what needs to be scaled up, what needs to be refined, or what should be stopped. This plan ensures that AI integrates seamlessly into business processes and effectively contributes to achieving business goals, both in the short and long term.
How do you do it safely?
If you want to work with AI, you cannot avoid dealing with sensitive data. Security is everything, as is compliance with laws and regulations, such as the GDPR. This is not only essential for the protection of your company, employees, and customers, but also prevents legal complications that may arise from careless data management. Robust data security is crucial to building and maintaining trust in your organization and in relationships with your customers.
AI, and now?
Those who get swept up in the AI hype quickly find themselves tempted to get started too quickly. It’s like trying to jump onto a speeding train without preparing properly – an exciting ride, but without a solid foundation, it can go wrong. The success of AI lies not in hasty implementation but in making sharp choices: experimenting where necessary and scaling quickly where value has been proven. Companies that take the time to strategically integrate AI will not only keep pace with the speed of technological advancement but will also benefit from it confidently and effectively.
