How is AI impacting workers on a day-to-day level? Thirty-seven percent of those surveyed said their organizations viewed increased workforce productivity as the most important benefit of AI and automation. This was followed by faster response to supply chain disruptions (22%) and reduced operational costs (14%).
Frontline workers have the opportunity to use AI in many different ways, depending on the tools available for them, but where is AI helping the most? This section explores the biggest benefits respondents expect AI to deliver to their organization.
Increased workforce productivity is the most important benefit their organization expects from AI and automation, according to the largest segment (37%) of respondents. Those who said increased workforce productivity use it for inventory management, QA, and workflow optimization.
Faster response to supply chain disruptions is another benefit that 22% of workers say their company expects from AI. Of this group, 81% say they are very confident or somewhat confident that AI will help their organization mitigate future supply chain risks.
Neither of these responses is unique to one industry. Of those who chose increased workforce productivity, 43% are in manufacturing and 42% are in retail. Of those who chose a faster response to supply chain disruptions, 41% are in manufacturing and 39% are in retail.
Finally, the third benefit they see is reduced operational cost (14%). Of that group, 80% have realized cost reductions from AI already.
The big idea: Frontline workers are looking to AI for ways to improve their productivity in everyday responsibilities, including hands-on operational tasks and working directly with customers. As a frontline worker, it makes sense that they're looking for AI to help them in their daily tasks — and are not necessarily concerned about its high-level strategic impacts.
What is the most important benefit your organization expects from AI and automation?
Frontline workers expect AI tools and technology to help them be more productive. For some, that may mean getting products through assembly faster or doing QA faster. For others, it may be using AI to gather insights into customer behavior so they can provide better service.
This, of course, may or may not be leadership's strategy in terms of how they want to implement AI in their organization. Ideally, organizations are looking for a fully integrated AI strategy, using it for forecasting, analysis, and other high-level applications at the top while also deploying tools to the front lines that can help improve efficiency in daily tasks.
When evaluating AI solutions for frontline workers, look for tools that offer ways to enhance productivity and efficiencies in the warehouse or in the store as the leading supply chain benefit.