We’ve always been a custom software development business that puts the client’s business first. For us, that means looking at the business as an engine, if you like. Our goal is to turn that engine into a turbocharged machine, with people and software each playing their part.
That doesn’t mean pushing everything into software. People do the work that needs judgement, and software takes care of the systematic, repetitive stuff. It’s the combination that makes it work.
That split is obviously changing with the new AI tools, but in many cases it means the person takes on a more senior role, overseeing and managing the work. They’re not necessarily replaced. What most businesses would rather see is that person taking on bigger work while AI and software handle the grunt work.
Following this approach as AI evolves means businesses can grow in ways they didn’t think they could. More sales and throughput without costs rising at the same rate. I think most businesses will see AI as a growth opportunity, rather than just a way to save money. Get this right and your business could move up a level without the investment that would previously have been needed.
As a business owner myself, my goal isn’t to stay at the same revenue level and cut costs. I’d rather improve productivity and grow the business without having to increase costs every step of the way.
The problem with growing a business is that you usually need to invest time, money and resources before the returns come in. If you’ve been doing this for a while, the budget for new initiatives can get smaller and smaller until growth just plateaus. You still have the ideas, but getting them off the ground becomes harder.
This is the opportunity AI brings. All those ideas you had but couldn’t get off the ground because the software or the people with the right skills were out of budget are now back on the table.
People aren’t necessarily going to lose their jobs. They can move up the ladder, with AI slotting in underneath them.
