For small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the digital world, legacy software and tools can be more costly than you think. These tools may not have the features or software required, which can lead to compliance gaps, cybersecurity vulnerabilities and integration ‘drag’ which can hinder the growth of the business. SMEs need to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure the business is capable of operating in the digital business economy.
According to Jacques Burger, Senior Business Analyst at Dariel Solutions, the emergence of technologies like AI means that even smaller businesses can invest in efficient operational systems at a lower cost.
“Used strategically, these tools automate reconciliation, detect anomalies, and enable fraud-proof smart contracts. Modernising isn’t a vanity upgrade, it’s a business safeguard,” says Burger.
For SMEs who are seeking to integrate AI into their operations, it’s not just about how the software adapts to your business; it’s also about ensuring your team is prepared to handle the technology.
In this article, we look at the ways in which SMEs can prepare their teams for AI adoption and the benefits of upskilling their employees.
Benefits of Upskilling for Employees
Here are some of the benefits of upskilling your employees, especially when preparing for AI adoption.
1. Employee Retention
Employees will leave an organisation that does not provide opportunities for growth. Providing employees with upskilling opportunities prevents them from wanting to leave and the business from losing its best employees.
2. Enhanced Productivity
Bridging the knowledge gap by upskilling employees has a positive effect on their productivity. Well-structured skilling programmes can help employees feel confident in their work, saving time, reducing errors, achieving targets easily and improving overall productivity.
3. Increased Job Satisfaction
When your employees are satisfied, it has a direct effect on customer satisfaction. Empowering your employees with the right skills helps them win the trust of customers and grow in their careers by providing exceptional work performance and improving overall job satisfaction.
4. Career Growth
Upskilling your employees makes them more efficient in meeting current demands, agile enough to become future leaders and helps them use new technologies effectively. This can help your business grow and enable employees to pave the way for long-term career growth.
5. Boost Confidence
Employees equipped with the right skills are able to tackle unforeseen challenges easily and confidently, an important trait to have when dealing with AI. This will help employees when dealing with customers and motivate them to work harder.
Steps to Help You Prepare Your Team for AI
Here are steps you can use as a guideline to help you prepare your staff for AI adoption.
Step 1: Building Awareness
Before introducing the AI tools you will use, you need to help your team understand why AI matters. This means anything from explaining how AI will make their jobs easier, the benefits of the technology for the business or the cost-effectiveness of AI.
Step 2: Assess Employee Readiness
Every team and team member is different, so you need to ask the right questions to assess how ready they are for AI. Consider the following questions:
- Who is already using AI tools?
- Who is excited about AI?
- Who is unsure about AI?
- Who might need additional support?
- Who believes they are confident in AI?
Step 3: Match Tools to Team Roles
You have to know which departments or team members need to learn to use AI tools. You need to consider the following:
- Marketing teams might start with tools like ChatGPT for brainstorming or Napkin.ai for graphics and presentations.
- Sales teams might be better suited for tools like Google Gemini for email writing and customer relationship management (CRM).
- The operations team might be better suited for tools like Zoho AI to manage HR, sales and internal processes.
For SMEs looking to leverage an AI tool, Zoho has launched new agentic AI features across three key product categories, such as collaboration, customer experience, and human resources.
Step 4: Set up Practical Training
There is no way to adopt AI without providing practical training for your team. Some ideas to consider:
- Start each member with one simple tool
- Share video tutorials or conduct walkthroughs
- Set up sessions for team members to learn from each other
The goal of your training should be to make your team feel like they can manage the AI tools and not feel overwhelmed.
Step 5: Review and Support
The final step is about ensuring you check in with your team to find out if they are coping with the AI tools. Set up weekly check-ins to ask:
- Which tools are working, and which ones are not?
- What are the challenges or wins?
- What should be tried next?
It’s important that you celebrate your employees for the small wins to boost their confidence with the tools.
For small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the digital world, legacy software and tools can be more costly than you think. These tools may not have the features or Read More
