Artificial intelligence may not be new, but it’s poised to become even more prominent in the office technology industry.
You are probably using AI at work and in your personal life without even thinking about it. Your business may already track quantities of paper, toner, and spare parts delivered using AI. You may also use AI to track website traffic, and it may drive your sales and service teams’ appointment calendars.
Meanwhile, your phone’s calendar app reminds you of calls and appointments. Alexa and Siri are enabled by AI, as are bots that answer questions and resolve issues on websites. Streaming services relentlessly suggest movies, and the wine you enjoy while watching those movies may have been suggested by an online wine club.
Then there’s the robotic vacuum your spouse adores. All are tightly wed to AI. As AI technology evolves, it will become more sophisticated and further integrated into our personal and business lives. AI relies on algorithms that make dumb machines appear smart. For all the hype, current AI technology is still far from perfect. A perfect example is the auto-correct feature in your phone as you write a text. How often has it missed the mark and changed a word that didn’t need correcting?
Living Large and Au Natural
Algorithms sort, count, match, and more, usually working with other algorithms. One of the lead sled dogs is the large language model (LLM). This “generative algorithm” supports content creation, language translation, and conversational AI. LLM is joined at the hip with natural language processing or NLP, which helps AI recognize and understand questions. This involves text processing, knowledge retrieval, and response generation.
According to Forbes, gen AI is growing fast, enabled by such basic uses as bots on websites and phone systems, some of which support machine learning. Forbes says one in three respondents to its 2023 survey claim their organizations are using gen AI in at least one business function, while forty percent said advances in gen AI are likely to increase future AI investments.
Some vendors are more proactive about AI than others. Konica Minolta, for example, has developed an AI Steering Committee involving all business areas, including operations. The company is also using machine learning and will continue doing so with the next generation of products. For dealers, this means future products may be more firmly rooted in their needs and those of their customers.
Dealers are using it in sales to aid CRM follow-up and prospecting. “Some are using it to improve the customer experience with things like chatbots and data analytics,” reported Laura Blackmer, president dealer channel sales, Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. She related how some dealers are using the website traffic tracking tool Fathom and Fireflies, a transcription tool, both enabled by AI. Such capabilities can be important.
“Tackling the most pressing issue plaguing our industry, qualified labor, is where AI will have a significant impact,” predicted Blackmer. “Like many dealers, we are struggling to find technicians with next-generation skills. AI will give techs immediate access to machine operability, recommended fixes, and quick access to reporting.”
“AI offers huge potential for office technology,” added Jenna Miner, channel development manager at ConnectWise, a software solutions provider for managed services providers. “By reducing tasks with AI, resources can be freed to perform more business-sensitive and customer-critical responsibilities that focus on revenue generation.”
Local Motion
AI also gets local. For example, the default settings on some devices installed at customer sites already use AI to provide information on print volumes, supply levels, machine performance, and maintenance needs. AI may message the phone of a tech that he or she will need a part not in stock and order it automatically.
This can be especially useful if the part not performing up to spec is buried deep in a machine. An algorithm can determine its life expectancy so the tech can schedule replacement in a timeframe that allows a customer to work without worry. In this example, AI may know when a customer is two weeks away from a show-stopping failure. This enables the installation of a part before it is needed.
What Does AI Think?
I asked ChatGPT (from OpenAI) and Gemini (from Google), how can office technology dealers use AI? Responses included:
- Predictive maintenance for installed equipment based on time and number of copies/prints.
- Remote monitoring and predictive troubleshooting.
- Inventory management in your warehouse and at customer sites.
- Price comparison versus competitors.
- Workflow automation in the office.
I was disappointed the answers were more suggestions than prescriptive, although some thoughtful and specific probing might generate better answers. Responses from both ChatGPT and Gemini reflected those of software and equipment vendors but often lacked context to which dealers could relate. That’s too bad because context helps make recommendations more useful. The AI summary, though, was spot-on albeit generic: “By incorporating AI into their operations office technology, dealers can improve efficiency, enhance customer service, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market.”
As Miner and Blackmer noted, AI does not provide a path forward and still requires human judgment. ChatGPT and Gemini claimed to be only partially trained, their responses usually including disclaimers: “ChatGPT can make mistakes. Consider checking important information,” said ChatGPT. Gemini admitted it “may display inaccurate info, including about people, so double-check its responses.” In other words, don’t take anything AI says to the bank.
“Improper and reckless use of AI can put a dealer in an unfortunate and risky situation,” noted Miner. For instance, while ChatGPT and Gemini are trained (in part) by scraping the internet, the vast amount of information they gather and the vagaries of their sources drives the disclaimers.
Time to Take AI Seriously
But AI is not an all-or-nothing game; use AI where it is appropriate. “Resistance to AI can be detrimental for growth and expansion,” cautioned Miner. “AI is going to become highly individualized to serve the needs of the office technology channel in compelling ways.”
Good judgment about how and when to use AI will add efficiency in ways that foster business growth and profits. Just be smart about it. One benefit of AI is its availability…or not. “AI doesn’t take vacations or get sick,” observed Blackmer. “You can fire it and also choose when to use it, like using AI to improve the effectiveness of your human labor.”
Adding to the mix, Google rolled out Gemma on February 23. This is supposedly a light version of Gemini that can run on a workstation. What the press release accompanying the launch didn’t say was that Gemma could wind up being an AI entry point for many businesses. Consider that workstations may be an AI on-ramp for dealers and their customers. However, common sense matters.
“Restraint, governance, and policy enforcement are essential for protecting employees and sensitive information,” said Miner. Blackmer agreed, noting, “Having good standard practices, policies, and an expert on call can mitigate some of the risk. Don’t rely too heavily on AI by taking away the human element.”
The good news is that you don’t have to be an expert—just know what AI can and cannot do and how it adds value for you and your customers. “Do not think it’s going to solve all your problems,” cautioned Blackmer.
As with email, websites, and search engines, extracting the value of AI will come from using it effectively. The speed at which it gathers information in infinite ways is part of its magic. You may be using and profiting from AI without realizing it, which is pretty cool. Use it more and be smart about it because it will soon be business as usual.
