Revolutionising Business Communications: The Role of AI and Automation

Communications are critical to the success of any organisation, playing a key role in decision-making, productive meetings, and connecting businesses with customers, employers and partners. Traditional forms of communication are giving way to more advanced tools and omnichannel communications that enhance efficiency, productivity and personalisation. As the digitisation of business communications continues to evolve, it’s artificial communication (AI) and automation that is now transforming the way organisations operate in every sector.

From streamlining the customer experience in the contact centre to creating social media content for marketing purposes, the applications of AI and automation are endless. One prediction sees AI powering 95% of all customer interactions by 2025.

For example, while chatbots as a communications tool have been around since the 60s, it’s only with the emergence of AI that they are really coming into their own. Embedded in a website, an app or another touchpoint, chatbots are efficient and cost-effective. With AI, they’re becoming more human-like in their responses and can even be trained to react to the emotional state of callers using sentiment analysis.

AI-powered automation is all about doing repetitive tasks quicker and more accurately than human. When it comes to managing data, this becomes overwhelmingly apparent. In the contact centre, AI-powered VoIP phone systems can integrate seamlessly with CRM systems to collect data and analyse data, crafting personalised responses, or transferring calls to agents with the best ability to resolve individual customer issues. With predictive engagement, these tools can even decide what type of support will deliver the highest level of customer satisfaction. Potentially, this means freeing up employees from mundane tasks and putting their skills to work in more fulfilling roles.

Improved productivity – Research from McKinsey demonstrates that well connected teams increase their productivity by up to 25%, while a study out of the National Bureau of Economic Research found a 14% boost in issues resolved per hour when an AI-based conversational assistant was introduced into customer support teams. It’s thought that 40% of the work salespeople do can be automated using AI solutions.

Employee engagement – A positive work environment is one in which employees can openly share ideas and concerns. This happens when employees are given the tools to communicate easily and effectively. AI can also improve engagement through real-time analysis and gamification. Armed with insights, management can address problematic issues.

Efficiency – Any time you automate a process, you save time. Fewer people are involved. In addition, poor communication leads to misunderstandings, which require time and resources to put right. The fewer miscommunications, the more efficient you become. Automation also allows you to send out messages in batches rather than individually or manually. Take that one step further with AI and you can run entire communication campaigns in the background of your daily operations.

Leverage omnichannel capabilities – AI automation makes it possible to integrate email, SMS, messaging, voice and more, all within a central interface, so it’s easier for your customers to engage with you and easier for your own people to access information relating to customers. The result is streamlined communications, improved customer journeys and happier end users.

Personalisation – Not all customers are the same. Using customer data collated and processed by AI, you can segment customers in great detail in order to send them relevant content and offers based on their individual needs and preferences. The outcome is the creation of a hyper-personalised customer journey that improves engagement and encourages repeat business.

Today, AI and automation is empowering communications in the workforce. AI-powered chatbots are becoming the front line of the customer services team, acting as smart assistants for support staff, creating automated campaigns for marketers and delivering insightful reports for decision-making.

As AI continues to evolve and become more sophisticated, its impact on business communications will become even more pronounced. To gain the benefits, and the competitive advantage, now is the time to discover what it can do for your organisation.

Contact DigitalWell to find out more about how our comprehensive range of communication solutions can help you do business better. For more insights, see our new report on the Future of Communications.