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Some to-dos can be very tedious, especially when it comes to completing repetitive tasks or managing complex processes. A well-integrated intelligent personal assistant can help: it supports employees in completing tasks more efficiently and streamlining work processes through AI process optimization. This bridges skill gaps and provides companies with a valuable competitive advantage in times of skilled labor shortages, contributing to AI transformation and enabling effective business process automation with AI. 

However, the proper integration and utilization of intelligent personal assistants is still a challenge for many companies. On one hand, many organizations struggle to identify which GenAI solution is most suitable for their specific use cases and how to effectively incorporate it into their workflows. On the other hand, employees often have reservations about new technologies and sometimes exhibit a certain fatigue towards transformation. Both factors can lead to missed opportunities for companies in their AI transformation efforts. 

This doesn't have to be the case: A successful AI transformation, coupled with the right change management tools, lays the foundation for your company's future adaptability and success, thereby elevating the role of an intelligent personal assistant in your operations. 

Intelligent Personal Assistant: How GenAI Revolutionizes Your Workday

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) represents a disruptive technology capable of learning contextually and generating new content based on that learning. By processing vast amounts of data and utilizing advanced algorithms, GenAI models can generate customized texts, images, audio and video files, and even programming code. Companies have the opportunity to train these models specifically for their individual requirements, allowing them to achieve high-quality results while enhancing their AI transformation initiatives with an intelligent personal assistant. 

Imagine starting your day with a full task list: sorting emails, preparing drafts for the next newsletter, creating an agenda for the upcoming meeting, and summarizing several reports. Your GenAI assistant can take most of these tasks off your plate. It creates the first draft of the newsletter, suggests a structured agenda, and concisely summarizes the key points from the reports. This way, you gain valuable time to focus on fine-tuning and creative details, all while benefiting from the efficiency of an intelligent personal assistant. 

By utilizing GenAI in the workplace, processing times are noticeably reduced while flexibility increases. GenAI alleviates employees from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus more on strategic and innovative projects. This smart support helps meet growing demands while alleviating the skilled labor shortage, enhancing the effectiveness of an intelligent personal assistant in the business environment. 

AI Transformation: Using GenAI to Combat the Skilled Labor Shortage

Companies are in intense competition for qualified employees. Thanks to AI, there is no longer a need to fill every missing niche skill with a new permanent hire. Instead, employees can delegate tasks to a generative AI, relieving their workload. It is beneficial for all employees to be empowered in their specific roles to delegate tasks to generative AI. This way, they gain valuable time to build missing skills within the company or to focus on strategic, creative, or conceptual tasks. In some cases, GenAI itself can cover certain missing competencies, contributing to the overall efficiency of the company while enhancing the role of the intelligent personal assistant. 

This does not mean that GenAI, with its extensive capabilities, will replace important jobs. It simply means that you can utilize the existing skills of your employees more efficiently. In doing so, you not only create a significant competitive advantage but also help relieve your employees' workload. This allows for optimized workflows and increased job satisfaction, which can have long-term positive effects on the company, especially with the support of an intelligent personal assistant in your operations. 

Challenges in Implementing an Intelligent Personal Assistant

Companies must take action to fully leverage the benefits of GenAI. However, they face the following challenges: 

  • Uncertainty about GenAI use cases: Companies often do not know what use cases exist and which tools have the potential to ease the work of their employees, especially when considering the implementation of an intelligent personal assistant. 

  • Implementation challenges: The effective implementation of applications is not obvious and requires time and resources in the initial stages. Only in the second phase does GenAI reveal its full potential, enhancing efficiencies that lead to significant long-term advantages, particularly in the context of using an intelligent personal assistant. 

  • Lack of employee preparation: Employers often fail to prepare their employees in advance for the planned use of GenAI. This results in delays and resistance, hindering efficient implementation and obstructing the effective utilization of an intelligent personal assistant. 

  • Cost uncertainty: When introducing GenAI solutions, organizations often face uncertainty regarding the necessary investments and the extent to which productivity must increase to justify the implementation in the long term. 

  • Diverse skill levels among employees: Employees have diverse levels of technological knowledge and skills. Some need training to effectively utilize GenAI, while those responsible for its implementation require more advanced technical expertise. Tailoring support to each individual's proficiency and providing the necessary training presents a considerable challenge, particularly in optimizing the use of an intelligent personal assistant. 

Increased Efficiency and Productivity through AI Process Optimization: Examples and Use Cases

Even though implementing GenAI comes with some challenges, it is worthwhile to overcome these hurdles. By doing so, companies unlock the full potential of GenAI and create a work environment where innovative technologies can assist employees with a variety of tasks, enhancing the role of an intelligent personal assistant in daily operations. 

Some of the simplest tasks for an intelligent personal assistant include: 

  • Image and text generation: GenAI efficiently creates images for presentations, marketing materials, or social media. It can also generate templates for emails, newsletters, and agendas, which can be adjusted and personalized by employees, speeding up the planning and communication processes while enhancing the functionality of an intelligent personal assistant. 

  • Creative storytelling and speeches: GenAI develops captivating stories for lectures and presentations, as well as speeches tailored to the style and needs of the speaker, facilitating preparation for public appearances. 

Somewhat more challenging tasks for an intelligent personal assistant include: 

  • Content summarization of meetings, emails, and other texts: GenAI analyzes lengthy documents and creates concise summaries. Additionally, it can suggest action items, such as which emails require immediate responses and which tasks result from a meeting. 

  • Creating a presentation from another file: GenAI can extract content from reports or documents and transform it into an engaging presentation. It can also convert prose texts into PowerPoint slides and enhance them with up-to-date information from the internet, maximizing the efficiency of an intelligent personal assistant in the presentation creation process. 

  • Concept development and method selection for workshops: GenAI assists in developing workshop concepts and selecting appropriate methods to ensure effectiveness and focus. 

  • Data analysis in Excel: GenAI can perform complex data analyses, identify trends, and create helpful visualizations. Additionally, it provides explanations of the numbers and suggests action options for improvement, enhancing decision-making with the support of an intelligent personal assistant. 

Even for tasks that go well beyond those mentioned here, the tools can be helpful, such as: 

  • Narrating Learning Videos: With the help of GenAI, high-quality audio recordings for learning videos can be created, making the learning content more engaging and easier to understand, thereby enhancing the overall educational experience. 

  • Code Development: GenAI can assist programmers in developing code by making suggestions, identifying errors, and proposing improvements, thus enhancing efficiency in software development. 

Therefore, it is crucial for companies and teams to work together to identify and document opportunities and guidelines for which tasks employees can utilize AI applications in their daily work. 

The Capabilities of Smart Assistance Through Modern GenAI Technologies

Smart assistance solutions like GenAI can take on numerous tasks that would be time-consuming and resource-intensive with traditional workflows. Whether it’s Microsoft M365 Copilot, Gemini, OpenAI, or custom developments, these technologies offer versatile support, from answering questions and analyzing data to creating content. They serve as flexible assistants in the workplace, adapting to the individual needs of users and enhancing productivity with the help of an intelligent personal assistant. 

Thanks to their ability to understand various languages such as English, German, Japanese, or Chinese, as well as to master different tonalities – from formal to informal, and even dramatic or humorous – smart assistance solutions provide tailored support for various situations. Additionally, these systems can be used by multiple people simultaneously and integrated into diverse workflows. 

The key is the optimal interaction between humans and GenAI to fully leverage the potential of these technologies and achieve the best results. MHP helps you design this interaction – whether with established technologies like Microsoft M365 Copilot, Gemini, OpenAI, or with custom developments tailored precisely to your company's requirements. 

How MHP Supports Companies in Implementing and Utilizing GenAI

Our experts have successfully supported various companies across different industries in implementing GenAI. This extensive experience enables us to understand the specific requirements and individual needs of each company accurately. Our consulting approach is based on the interplay of organization, technology, and people. Which of these dimensions is prioritized depends entirely on the specific requirements and needs of the client. We assist you throughout the implementation of your intelligent personal assistant, from initial planning to successful deployment, providing customized solutions at every step of the process. 

Organization

To optimize the use of GenAI in your company, precise strategy development is essential. We assist you in identifying relevant use cases and establishing a solid foundation for implementation, enhancing the effectiveness of your intelligent personal assistant. 

  • Identification of use cases: First, we identify relevant use cases and business models where GenAI can drive efficiency improvements, making it a key component of your intelligent personal assistant strategy. 

  • Strategic action areas: Next, we develop strategic action areas for the optimal utilization of GenAI. 

  • AI roadmap: Then, we design a comprehensive AI roadmap for structured implementation. 

  • Data strategy: Additionally, we design a data strategy to promote an appropriate organizational structure. 

Technology

The technological foundation is crucial for the successful use of GenAI. We ensure the technical requirements are met and that security aspects are taken into account. 

  • Technological concepts: Technological and security concepts are developed and implemented. 

  • Infrastructure: This is followed by the tailored design and implementation of the necessary infrastructure. 

  • GenAI models: Finally, we develop and integrate custom-fit GenAI models and systems. 

People

People are at the center of every successful transformation. We support your employees in becoming familiar with the new technology and its functions, enabling them to use it effectively. 

  • Training and enablement programs: We offer comprehensive training tailored to all knowledge levels, complemented by targeted enablement programs to ensure your employees can use the new technology effectively. 

  • Promoting acceptance: We take the concerns and worries of employees seriously and build trust in the use of the technology through targeted measures. 

  • Change management: In the next step, we support change management for a successful transformation. 

  • Cooperation model: Finally, we develop an effective cooperation model that ensures optimal interaction between GenAI solutions and the employees. This allows for harmonious collaboration between humans and technology, maximizing the strengths of both sides. 

GenAI as a Smart AI Assistant: Your Solution for Efficiency and Innovation

Let MHP support you in navigating this transformation and fully harnessing the potential of GenAI. By successfully integrating GenAI solutions, you gain a significant competitive advantage in an increasingly digital market environment. You enhance your productivity while positioning yourself as a modern and forward-thinking employer. Our holistic consulting approach equally considers the technological, organizational, and human dimensions. 

We not only assist you in implementing the technology but also prioritize engaging your employees throughout the process. Our focus is on enhancing their skills and fostering acceptance of the change. Trust our expertise to help you maintain a leading position in the market. 

FAQ

How can I, as a leader, help employees overcome their hesitation with GenAI?

Leaders play a crucial role as multipliers and role models in the implementation of GenAI. By using the technology themselves and demonstrating its benefits, they can help employees overcome their hesitation and build trust in the use of GenAI. It is essential for leaders to be thoroughly trained in the use of GenAI so that they can effectively support their teams. 

How sustainable is the use of GenAI?

GenAI solutions require high computational power, which includes electricity consumption and cooling of data centers. Modern approaches aim to reduce these demands through more efficient processes and the use of renewable energy. At the same time, GenAI can help identify resource-efficient practices and optimize processes to minimize waste and energy consumption. 

How secure is GenAI and what risks are associated with its use?

The security of GenAI largely depends on how well IT security and compliance guidelines are implemented within the company. When these policies are followed, the use of GenAI is well on track to ensure data protection and legal compliance. Models trained with proprietary data or specially created data dummies offer additional protection and are particularly suitable for business purposes. This minimizes potential risks, such as incorrect or biased content, while maximizing the benefits of the technology. 

How does GenAI change the way employees work and their roles?

GenAI supports employees in completing tasks faster and often at a higher quality. It designs texts, images, or models that employees can then refine. This way of working creates space for creative projects and can boost motivation. It’s important to integrate GenAI meaningfully into workflows – not every task benefits equally. As a versatile smart assistant, GenAI acts as an extension of your team, enhancing both productivity and efficiency. 

What skills and training are needed to use GenAI effectively?

The most important requirement is the willingness to embrace GenAI. Training should focus on creating specific prompts so that employees learn to give the AI clear and precise instructions. With the aid of change management tools, we effectively communicate the benefits of GenAI and practice its seamless integration into daily workflows.  

About our author:

A "better tomorrow" is not possible without it:

  1. Interdisciplinary cooperation and networking 
  2. Openness to change and curiosity for new things 
  3. Efficient work, e.g. through AI support 

My heart beats faster for...:

Workshop concepts that promote group dynamics with goal-oriented methods and exciting storytelling 

Deborah Hahn

Consultant

About our author:

A "better tomorrow" is not possible without it:

  1. Responsible action - individually and by companies 
  2. Constantly reflecting on our current work 
  3. Technological innovation and digital transformation 

My heart beats faster for...:

For a flexible, inclusive and technology-driven world of work 

Judith Borgmann

Senior Manager

About our author:

A "better tomorrow" is not possible without it:

  1. Innovative thinking for new technological solutions 
  2. Clear understanding of roles in the team 
  3. A positive mindset at work 

My heart beats faster for...:

Sport, AI and High Performing Teams 

Burkhard Güth

Manager