AI in Sales and Operations
I redesign management, sales and operational processes to make effective use of AI. I take responsibility for selecting applications, assessing implementation costs and measuring their impact on business performance. I explore this approach in my book Human + AI.
The results I’m responsible for
Identifying processes where AI can produce a measurable benefit, assessing costs and risks, and preparing the team for changes to its work. I agree measures such as time spent, cost of service and quality, then assess the results. Together with the implementation team, we agree what needs to be built or integrated and who is responsible for each part.
Start with the work
I look at where time is spent, which decisions depend on reliable information and where human judgement is essential. The choice of tool follows that analysis, rather than setting the agenda.
Decide what people and AI each do
AI can support research, documentation, sales preparation and data analysis. People must still own proposals, customer relationships and decisions involving risk. We make that division clear so everyone knows what they are responsible for, what needs checking and which decisions managers must make.
Understand the full cost
The business case includes implementation, integration, data security, ongoing maintenance and the risks of unmanaged tools. A gain in speed can be cancelled out by additional review, rework or exposure of confidential information.
These are recurring themes in my book Human + AI: A New Operating Model for B2B Sales and my Shadow AI analysis.