Atlantic Business Technologies, Inc.

Category: AI

  • Revolutionize Your Business: A Step-by-Step Guide for Implementing AI Applications

    Revolutionize Your Business: A Step-by-Step Guide for Implementing AI Applications

    The pace of technological advancements we’re seeing in this early part of the 21st century is amazing, almost unbelievable. And now, with the launch of ChatGPT, businesses have the opportunity to utilize AI applications to help them to make decisions faster and more accurately than ever before.

    Atlantic BT has been in business since 1998 and has helped over 1,000 businesses to capitalize on the past 25 years of emerging technological advancements. We’re using this deep experience to help our clients enter this new era of technology, artificial intelligence, as well.  

    In this article, we’ll discuss how “digital transformation” has progressed from data collection and analysis, to automation, and now artificial intelligence strategies. Then we’ll outline the steps necessary to implement AI applications in your business. 

    The Impact of ChatGPT on Business: Opportunities and Challenges with AI Applications

    OpenAI brought Artificial Intelligence to the mainstream with its 2022 launch of ChatGPT. And it still reigns supreme today as the most powerful and versatile tool for natural language processing available to the general public. 

    One of the key features that sets ChatGPT apart from other AI applications is its ability to generate text that is both natural and coherent, making it well-suited for tools like chatbots and other conversational agents. Which makes it a game changer for businesses. With AI technology, businesses can greatly enhance their operations, improve customer experiences, decrease costs, and further drive innovation. 

    However, this fast-paced technological innovation has created some challenges for businesses as well. From labor shortages, to inflation, cost limitations, and increased competition, organizations are under immense pressure to boost productivity and maintain their competitiveness. (To be fair, this has always been the case, but it seems to be even more important “now.”)

    Incorporating AI applications into a business isn’t much different than the process a business would have gone through when it incorporated any other new technology of its time.

    Innovative business leaders, especially those at the enterprise-level, have already turned their focus towards leveraging automation and artificial intelligence (AI) as a solution to bridge productivity gaps. Which means that companies who still haven’t embraced AI face the possibility of falling behind. Lack of understanding, budgeting concerns, or waiting for the technology to mature are some of the reasons holding companies back. While these challenges exist, there are ways to overcome them and successfully implement AI applications in business processes.

    The AI Journey From Data Collection to Digital Transformation

    Sophisticated technologies are evolving rapidly. These advancements present businesses with the opportunity to revolutionize their day-to-day processes and decision-making. They can do this by incorporating advanced automation, artificial intelligence, and context that goes beyond traditional organizational boundaries.

    However, achieving this kind of transformation requires a comprehensive understanding not only of the potential offered by new technologies, but also of how existing information systems interconnect and where current business processes can be optimized. 

    Most businesses have already recognized the power of automating mundane processes. But now with the use AI applications, we can pass some of the analyzing and decision making on to technology to handle as well. Data collection, automation, and now AI all play important roles in a company’s overall digital transformation strategy. Here’s how:  

    Data Collection and Processing. 

    Collecting data from various sources and processing it to make it usable, is pivotal for a business. Businesses collect a wide range of data to help them make informed decisions, improve operations, and better understand their customers. This could involve setting up data collection mechanisms, cleaning the data, and storing it in a structured format. 

    Automation. 

    Automation technologies can streamline business processes and increase efficiency. It is essentially programming robots to follow a set of instructions – If ‘A’ is specified, the robot will take action ‘B’. The rules are defined by humans, and the robots just carry out the commands. The goal is to liberate people from monotonous tasks that are labor intensive and thus often ridden with errors. 

    The majority of automation utilizes software to move data from one place to another. As an example, take this project Atlantic BT completed for Stan Johnson Co. They wanted to improve their integration between their Drupal website and Salesforce. There were areas of information that would be added or updated in Salesforce and then manually re-done in the website. Atlantic BT enhanced the custom integration to include relevant data, set up on a frequent sync, ensuring consistency across two business critical systems. Here’s a link to the Stan Johnson case study.

    While automation is merely taking orders, AI applications are designed to actually learn and then act on what they learn. 

    Artificial Intelligence. 

    With automation in place and a wealth of data available, companies can proceed with implementing AI applications. The purpose of AI is to imitate the human mind on a higher level – but in a very specific and limited number of tasks. Thus, AI applications will observe patterns and results of prior experiences in order to carry out tasks. 

    Rather than just following instructions, like an automated application, AI will figure out and act on what it has discovered. This may involve utilizing machine learning algorithms to extract insights from data or incorporating AI-powered solutions such as chatbots or recommendation systems. 

    But there’s even another distinction when talking about AI. (We won’t go too far down the rabbit hole). Narrow AI is a system that has been trained for a specific task (like ChatGPT or DALL-E). General AI is the more sci-fi scenario of understanding and learning in any domain like humans can (like GLaDOS or Bender).

    When we discuss AI applications in business, we’re talking about narrow AI. Why? General AI doesn’t exist yet!

    Digital Transformation.

    Armed with insights derived from AI, companies can initiate significant changes in their business processes, models, and culture. Digital transformation is the practice of using technology to radically change your business. It’s about leveraging all the digital tools at your disposal – data analytics, automation, AI applications – to fundamentally transform how your business operates and makes decisions. 

    A Strategic Roadmap for Implementing AI Applications in Business 

    Incorporating artificial intelligence technologies into a business isn’t much different than the process a business would have gone through when it incorporated any other new technology of its time. Such as, the internet, social media, e-commerce, smart phones, and cloud computing. 

    When we began building websites, it was to help businesses make use of new technology – the internet. Same theory with AI – others are already doing the heavy lifting to innovate AI technology, we’re simply helping clients to use that technology to advance their business.  

    A few years ago, we wrote a guide to help businesses manage complex development projects. Since implementing AI is basically a “complex development project”, these same guidelines apply.

    Here is a high-level overview of how any business can implement AI applications into their business operations today: 

    1. Assess Your Business Needs

    The first step in AI implementation is to assess your business needs and identify the areas where AI can add value. Check out this article with practical use cases for where AI applications can be implemented across many common business departments like accounting, human resources and marketing.  

    Partnering with an AI Consultant, like Atlantic BT, will allow you to lean on our 25 years of experience to help you to flush out your business goals, acknowledge your pain points, and identify opportunities for improvement. This will help you better prioritize AI use cases and define clear objectives for your AI projects.

    2. Data Collection and Preparation

    AI relies on high-quality data to generate accurate insights and predictions. Your data may need to be cleaned, processed, and labeled to ensure it is suitable for AI model training.

    3. Model Development and Training

    AI models are the core components of AI systems. And if you do not have someone in your organization with development experience, you should definitely consider partnering with an AI Consultant to help you design and develop AI models using appropriate algorithms and techniques. 

    These models will need to be trained using your prepared data and fine-tuned to optimize performance. Selecting the right AI frameworks and tools for model development are part of the process.

    4. Integration and Deployment

    Once your AI models are trained and validated, they need to be integrated into your existing systems or applications. Again, you’ll want someone experienced to ensure smooth data flow and compatibility with your infrastructure. 

    5. Monitoring and Evaluation

    After AI deployment, it is crucial to monitor the performance of your AI applications and evaluate their impact on your business. 

    6. Continuous Improvement

    Like any other technology, AI is an iterative process that requires continuous improvement and optimization. Your AI applications will require updates to ensure they remain effective and secure. And as your business needs evolve, your systems will need to evolve with them. 

    Use this link to download our free step-by-step guide for how to manage a complex development project. 

    Partnering with Atlantic BT as your AI Consultant

    Implementing AI applications into your business can be a complex and challenging endeavor. Partnering with an AI consultant can provide the expertise, guidance, and support needed to ensure a successful AI implementation. 

    We’re excited for what the future of our own business operations look like with the AI enhancements we have planned at Atlantic BT. And we think it would be just as exciting to partner with other business leaders to do the same for their organizations. 

    Even if you aren’t sure what you want to do, but you just know that you don’t want to be left off the AI train, let’s still schedule a call. We can help you to discover the right opportunities for improvement through AI. And our technical expertise will help uncover any limitations within your organization’s infrastructure that may hinder its full potential. 

    Click here to book a consultant with the Atlantic BT team. 

    Atlantic BT

    Atlantic BT has been building websites for 25 years. Great organizations, from startups to enterprise, trust us to design, develop, and secure their most important web projects. We deliver mission-critical technology and build powerful experiences that drive organizations to achieve their goals. 

  • The ChatGPT Effect: Why Your Company Needs an AI Strategy and Practical Use Cases for Getting Started. 

    The ChatGPT Effect: Why Your Company Needs an AI Strategy and Practical Use Cases for Getting Started. 

    When OpenAI launched ChatGPT, the world suddenly couldn’t stop talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI). In the months after it launched, millions of people used it to write songs, apply for jobs, and even win the lottery (so claims a man in Thailand). With the general population paying such close attention to ChatGPT, it underscores the importance of an AI strategy for businesses operating in today’s digital age.

    Yet AI is no spring chicken. Scientists first began talking about an “artificial brain” in the 1940s, with 1956 credited as the year artificial intelligence was officially founded. 

    So how, nearly 70 years later, was ChatGPT able to finally mainstream AI and set off such a huge cultural phenomenon?  

    ChatGPT: The AI Strategy Wake-Up Call.

    ChatGPT was able to generate text that better resembles human speech and engages in conversations with people in a manner that we haven’t seen with any other system that came before it. 

    Some argue its impact could be internet-scale disruption. 

    Yet, so many businesses are still in a state of uncertainty, without any formal plan for how they will implement an AI strategy into their operations. AI is complex and constantly evolving. So it’s understandable how half of US businesses still don’t have a plan for how they’ll use it. Plus, it’s so new that many business leaders aren’t even sure of who to turn to for help (btw, we can help 😉). 

    It seems unfathomable that 30 years ago businesses would have been scratching their heads, wondering if they really need this new internet thingy. 

    Yet that’s where we are right now with artificial intelligence.

    In this article, Bill Gates reflects back to mid-2022 when he challenged OpenAI to pass an Advanced Placement Biology exam. He thought it would take them a few years. They finished in a few months. So, yes, your business absolutely needs an AI strategy.  

    Atlantic BT has been building websites, improving software applications and managing cloud services for 25 years. That’s more than two decades of experience using the same kind of strategic thinking and creative development required for AI. 

    We thought we’d use some of that knowledge and experience to help other business leaders try to understand where and how they could use AI to improve their operations. And if you need help implementing any of these ideas, reach out to Atlantic BT to help you create an AI strategy that is right for your business. 

    Transforming Business Operations with AI: Practical Use Cases Across Departments

    AI can help businesses to streamline their operations, enhance customer experiences, improve their current products or services, or even create entirely new revenue streams. Examples of the latter require more specific conversations, as every business is unique in the products and/or services they offer. 

    But one thing most businesses have in common are the departments necessary to support their operations, such as accounting and human resources.

    Most of us have already recognized the power of automating some of the mundane processes of these supporting departments. Now with AI we can also pass on some of the analyzing and decision making as well. These use cases offer some great starting points for crafting your own AI strategy.

    AI in Accounting: Enhancing Cash Flow Management and Financial Forecasting. 

    One of the most significant benefits of AI is its ability to identify patterns in large data sets that would be impossible for any human to comprehend. 

    With Accounts Receivable, for example, AI can predict when invoices are likely to be paid based on each customer’s history of settling invoices. And similarly, it can predict what might not be paid. Thus, the business can focus their AR efforts where they’re needed most. With AI, businesses can better manage their cash flow and plan their own spend. 

    And how about with auditing? The primary objective is to ensure accuracy and compliance in financial statements. Traditionally, auditors review a subset of transactions, which leaves room for errors and missed anomalies. However, with AI every single transaction can be reviewed. And in real time, allowing businesses to identify potentially risky transactions before they happen.

    Businesses can also use AI with financial forecasting and budgeting. These algorithms can analyze historical data and make accurate predictions about future outcomes. This enables businesses to forecast demand, optimize inventory levels, and make informed decisions based on predictive insights. So, why not kickstart your AI strategy by using it to shape your company’s financial future?

    AI in Human Resources: Refining Recruiting Efforts and Analyzing Productivity. 

    Human Resources is another department that will benefit from an AI strategy. Businesses can use AI to better refine their recruiting efforts. It can track and analyze hiring conversion rates, thus identifying the organization’s most successful recruiting strategies. 

    AI can also help businesses track and analyze employee productivity. It can determine how much time employees are spending on certain tasks and also predict where bottlenecks are most likely to occur. Managers can better identify areas for improvements and detect issues before they become a significant problem.  

    AI in Marketing: Enhancing User Experiences and Analyzing Advertising. 

    User experience and customer service enhancements are likely the most recognizable forms of AI, even prior to ChatGPT. Anyone who shops online has likely encountered and even used a “live chat” feature. 

    Ecommerce businesses use AI to recommend products that align with customers’ learned interest. If you have a social media account, you’ve probably witnessed businesses implementing AI strategies with their advertising efforts.   

    Speaking of social media, AI can help businesses to create content for their posts and ads. As well as your website, brochures, product descriptions, etc. Really, any department could benefit from AI to create content – emails and reports, policies, proposals. Want to get started now? Check out the new Chat feature from Microsoft Bing, it’s free.   

    AI can also help your marketing department to better analyze how well your advertising strategies are working. At Atlantic BT, our campaign conversions from Google Ads and Social Media are already integrated with our Salesforce CRM, creating some very insightful reports. But we still have to interpret that data ourselves. 

    By leveraging AI-powered analytics, organizations can make data-driven decisions, identify patterns and trends, and uncover hidden opportunities for growth.

    Getting Your AI Strategy Started: Assessing Processes and Identifying Opportunities

    Now that you have some ideas for what Artificial Intelligence can do for your supporting departments, it’s time to begin crafting an AI strategy for your business.  

    Step one is the same as it would be when implementing any other type of technology solution. You should begin by assessing your current business processes and identifying where AI could make a significant impact. Consider how AI can streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, or even create entirely new revenue streams. 

    In the tech world, we can this step the discovery phase. 

    Discovery is a crucial first step that builds the foundation for design, development, implementation and maintenance. Partnering with a team experienced in AI strategy development will be extremely valuable. Additionally, collaborating with experts to understand the possibilities and limitations will help you develop a roadmap that best aligns with your goals.

    Partnering with an AI Consultant 

    Implementing an AI strategy for your business can be a complex and challenging endeavor. Partnering with a firm, like Atlantic BT, can provide the expertise, guidance, and support needed to ensure successful implementation. 

    Even if you aren’t sure what you want to do, but you just know that you don’t want to be left off the AI train, let’s still schedule a call. 

    We can help you to flush out your business goals, acknowledge your pain points, and identify opportunities for improvement. This will help you better prioritize AI use cases and define clear objectives for your AI strategy.

    Click here to book a consultant with the Atlantic BT team. 

    We’re excited for what the future of our own business operations look like with the AI enhancements we have planned at Atlantic BT. And we know it will be just as exciting to partner with other business leaders to do the same for their organizations. 

    Atlantic BT

    Great organizations, from startups to enterprise, have trusted Atlantic BT since 1998 to design, develop, and secure their most important web projects. We deliver mission-critical technology and build powerful experiences that drive organizations to achieve their goals. And we’re doing the same with artificial intelligence. Check out the Our Work section of our website. Here you can read through some case studies of technology we’ve developed for clients across many different industries like ecommerce, nonprofits, higher education, and more.