The pandemic that is still making a comeback in certain parts of the world may not last forever, but it has certainly changed the way businesses are operated and, in a number of ways, the nature of the interaction between businesses and their customers. And this transformation is anything but temporary.
“Post Covid, the whole focus (for companies) was preparing for what would come next. And that’s where automation, digitization… all of that became really important. Now that companies are moving into the digital world, they’re seeing that they’re dealing with digitally savvy customers…the whole notion of how AI is actually used…how automation capabilities are used to really improve not just productivity but the way you are delivering on your promise, your brand promise, your experience for your end consumers is gaining prominence,” says Sandip Patel, general manager, IBM India and South Asia.
Companies are increasingly using AI to engage with customers, automate IT processes, gain market insights to better serve customers, and automate work processes in departments like human resources and supply chain. “As changing demographics continue to add pressure to modern economies, combined with wage inflation and others, we are actually seeing companies eager to implement AI and automation capabilities at scale to increase their levels of productivity. productivity,” says Patel.
After all, equipping companies with new technological capabilities will only help them navigate the macroeconomic crisis that is pushing companies to control costs and make efficient use of available resources. Patel says that in India in particular, there is a lot of optimism around technology spending as companies rapidly embrace digitization to deliver value to customers and “drive efficiencies in their own operations.” “Today, emerging technologies like AI, hybrid cloud and quantum technology have almost become the sutradhar that allows us to prepare for what the markets are now asking for in B2B and B2C customers,” Patel says, adding that IBM is fully prepared to take advantage of this change.
“Over time, we have refocused our portfolio around the two most transformative technologies of our time, which are hybrid cloud and AI. By implementing these two, we are helping companies seize new opportunities, overcome current technology and business challenges,” says Patel.