A recent project we completed at a mid-sized company exposed the flaws and the promise of AI in one complex effort that shows how perseverance and patience can work wonders. The initial scope of the effort to modernize an order fulfillment process seemed like a ready made win for a smart AI application. But we…

When I was growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money. Every year, the first day of school when everyone else had the latest set of cool kicks on their feet, I wore the way too small, worn out shoes from the year before. They hurt my feet. I had to force my foot…

Does AI improve productivity or make it harder to get work done? Some of the leaders that we talk with about AI want to know how and when they can cut employees because AI makes work easier. That is one of the motivations to implement AI, cut labor costs and increase profits. And who wants…

The return on your investment in AI will be different from your peers. It’s important to evaluate and judge your potential return from the beginning of a test. Capturing all of the potential costs and savings of any AI project should start with the first meeting. Some of the key metrics involved in calculating ROI…

In a recent discovery session with a new client, we were discussing which of the many departments or tasks to redesign with an AI application. Of course he had developed a long list over time based on employee complaints and his personal perspective of pain points. The client suggested writing them all on little slips…

We used to go canoeing in the summer to relieve the boredom of the hot lazy days. At least you could drift down a river and catch a little breeze. Maybe catch a fish or two. The old boat needed a few patches before we could use it each season. One trip down the river…

Where I grew up we were used to the constant threat of tornadoes and severe weather that would always arrive each summer. Many an hour was spent in the basement hiding under the sturdy workbench that served as our “safe room”. Even though it wasn’t a room at all, just a workbench that my father…