At Gold Bond Inc., a promotional products company, integrating artificial intelligence into existing workflows, rather than introducing standalone AI tools, proved crucial for successful adoption. CIO Matt Price spearheaded the initiative to embed AI into tasks employees found cumbersome, such as ERP intake, document processing, and call follow-ups.

Price's strategy involved identifying a group of "super-users" to demonstrate Gold Bond-specific AI applications and train other employees. The company then integrated AI models like Gemini into high-friction workflows, implementing sandbox testing, guardrails, and human review for public-facing content. This approach led to a significant increase in daily AI usage, rising from 20% to 71%, with 43% of employees reporting time savings of up to two hours per day. "I wanted to bring everybody on the journey," Price told VentureBeat. "After we reset some expectations, people started leaning towards it. Our adoption has taken off."

Gold Bond, Inc., a major player in the $20.5 billion promotional products industry, provides custom swag and corporate gifts to 8,500 active customers. The company's experience highlights a broader trend: AI adoption often falters when implemented without careful consideration of existing IT infrastructure and employee workflows. Simply deploying AI chatbots or other standalone tools may not yield the desired results if they don't address specific pain points within an organization.

Experts suggest that successful AI integration requires a strategic approach that prioritizes identifying high-impact areas, providing adequate training and support, and establishing clear guidelines for AI usage. Furthermore, integrating AI into existing systems can streamline processes, reduce errors, and free up employees to focus on more strategic tasks. The company's success demonstrates the importance of aligning AI initiatives with specific business needs and ensuring that employees understand how to effectively use these tools.

As AI technology continues to evolve, organizations will need to adopt a more holistic approach to AI adoption, focusing on workflow integration and employee empowerment. The next phase for Gold Bond involves expanding AI capabilities to other areas of the business, including product visualization and customer service, while continuing to monitor and refine its AI governance framework.