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 "super-users" within the company to surface specific use cases and train colleagues. This approach allowed Gold Bond to tailor AI solutions, like Gemini, to address friction points in their established processes. The company also implemented sandbox testing, guardrails, and human review for public-facing content to ensure responsible AI implementation.
The results were significant. Daily AI usage increased from 20% to 71%, and 43% of employees reported saving 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 growing trend: the need for IT departments to lead the integration of AI into existing business systems to achieve meaningful adoption. Simply deploying AI chatbots or other standalone tools often fails to deliver tangible benefits because they are disconnected from the core workflows.
This approach contrasts with earlier, more generalized deployments of AI, where the focus was often on showcasing the technology's capabilities rather than addressing specific business needs. Experts argue that successful AI adoption requires a deep understanding of existing workflows and a strategic approach to embedding AI in ways that augment, rather than disrupt, employee tasks.
The success at Gold Bond suggests that companies should prioritize identifying high-friction areas within their operations and then work to integrate AI solutions that directly address those pain points. This targeted approach, combined with adequate training, guardrails, and human oversight, can lead to significant improvements in productivity and employee satisfaction. The company plans to continue expanding its AI integrations, focusing on areas such as product visualization and further streamlining of ERP processes.
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