AI has the potential to be very valuable, but it’s probably a way from reaching the “I don’t know how we lived without it” level. Moreover, left on its own, AI can be seriously misleading (at best), so you have to curate it a bit. And when people are added into the mix, it can be downright frustrating.
For example, I was recently standing at the ride-share pickup at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, eyeballing every car crawling by. My Uber never showed. Twice. I figured I’d screwed up but no, my experience was shared by a couple other road warriors. The driver probably went to the wrong terminal of the five at DFW, highlighting a weakness in a complex AI/human interface.
So what does this mean for office technology? Oracle’s website notes that “AI algorithms analyze vast amounts of data.” Humans, on the other hand, are notoriously terrible at handling large quantities of information. At DFW, it was which of the five terminals to go to while dealing with chaotic traffic, noise and incoming messages. For your service techs it may be which of the 33 MFPs at the local school system isn’t doing its job.
“AI is a powerful tool, and it should complement, not replace, skilled technicians,” said Colin Regina, vice president of Sharp USA’s Media Systems Group.
He’s right. AI is a tool that’s only truly effective when used in the right way. If there’s anything dealers and service techs should be cautious about it is overpromising AI’s capabilities at the device level. It’s early days but the industry is moving in that direction. How that plays out only time and experience will tell.
At a recent conference, some experienced users noted that AI should be “trained” by those who use it. This scary thought actually makes sense. Who better to “train” a machine (which is all AI is) than the people responsible for using and working with the device and the information it provides? This can enable you and your service tech identify the problem, locate the device, determine which parts may need replacing, estimate how long the work should take, assess the level of technical skill required, and possibly even itemize the steps required to service the device. All before the tech leaves your shop. Perhaps, obviously, you shouldn’t put any info about the customer into the data AI is using because you don’t want it to learn from that data. For example, the problem is on Device 121 at Customer 375. Device 121 is a highly critical device at that customer—a law firm with 18 MFPs, 3 scanners, 8 private printers, and 4 hallway copier/printers. The law firm, and your dealership, probably don’t want that information revealed in training AI.
“AI is only as good as the data it learns from,” noted Regina. “Techs need to validate AI recommendations and handle complex repairs while avoiding misinterpretation of the data. To be successful, connected AI tools need to be connected to a secure endpoint to prevent data breaches.”
Cody Walton, senior director for sales enablement at Konica Minolta, agreed, adding, “By extending operations without adding extra human capital, dealers can enhance efficiency, improve response times, and create a better overall customer experience. AI-driven solutions ultimately help drive higher customer satisfaction while optimizing the dealer’s service operations.”
Already a Boost for Dealers
Ask even the free version of Gemini (Google) about the advantages AI has for dealers, and it talks about faster responses and troubleshooting, improved first-call resolution, predictive maintenance, and improved remote support. Sounds great but let’s unpack these.
I tried the free version of Gemini to see what would happen, claiming my local MFP was putting a streak on every page. Even mildly trained AI is not bad at this kind of basic thing, pulling in the usual suspects: a scrap of debris, a bad roller in the paper feed, a damaged part, a deferred maintenance cycle, and so on. This may give a new tech some places to start and help first-call resolution.
Additional hands-on troubleshooting adds depth and human smarts, and can solve problems. Take an unfamiliar error code, for example. Using a phone, a tech can search the make and model detail and read how to remedy the problem. It may require a return trip, but the issue can be resolved. Having self-maintained and repaired a variety of copiers and printers over the years and replacing some before they died, I wondered what issues AI could alleviate. How “smart” is it? Can techs use it to help them do their jobs, or even use it as a crutch when faced with something they really don’t know? Maybe, but there may be more value to AI.
Being a self-sufficient kind of guy, I asked AI how to replace the transfer belt on the same MFP. I don’t know the innards of this machine. It’s not a hard task but requires some care and requires other parts be removed. AI gave me step-by-step instructions that were not perfect, but techs likely have the mechanical aptitude and can figure out a lot just by looking. In this way, AI can be a boon for a technician unfamiliar with a given device, it may augment training, and can even bail out a tech faced with a problem on an unfamiliar machine. This is just one place where AI can save the day for service techs and it’s one reason why your dealership should assess the benefits of AI.
So I went further. I asked AI about how to deal with some printing problems on a larger and more complex machine. It came back with a very good list of things to look at, most of which would apply to a variety of devices and would take a couple hours to figure out. The final resort, said AI, after replacing a few parts, would be calling the OEM for help. That’s a bail-out line and something techs learn anyway. But working through the steps they may have identified and fixed the problem. The AI may have come for your OEM’s website, but your dealership looks like the hero.
While many devices have become more reliable over the years, access to repair information via AI may make it easier for some service techs to rely more on the technology than on their own knowledge, experience, and training. This is good and bad. Few techs are trained or familiar with all the maladies and nuances of every machine you sell. But they still have to fix the beast when it fails.
“AI is nowhere near ready to start replacing what a trained technician provides, but it can still make them more efficient,” affirmed Konica Minolta’s Walton. “From optimizing parts allocation to reducing routine service visits and troubleshooting problems, AI will help streamline operations. Still, it is just a tool. A technician will always be essential using that tool to deliver the kind of customer service, expertise and trust that only a human—and a handshake—can provide.”
Are You Ready?
Steve Metcalf, founder and CEO of Imagine AI Live, an AI conference platform, notes three favorable points that can help commercial printers and office technology dealers use these new tools:
- Willingness to adopt new technologies
- Using AI to achieve efficiency, speed, and response
- Encouraging customers to try new approaches
Most office technology dealers and customers share some of these traits. For instance, many of your customers may be looking for ways to take advantage of AI but don’t always know how. You can help by identifying ways for them to use AI in their businesses. You can start by using it in your own.
Do some research, talk with your techs about how they could (or are) using AI, and ask your OEMs how you can take advantage of the AI they have developed. If you haven’t already, get started now. It’s better to make AI part of business as usual now rather than having to catch up to your customers and competitors later.
