As organizations look to respond to COVID-19, Avanade launches tool to help businesses accelerate their adoption of artificial intelligence

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Avanade

24 Jun, 2020, 07:00 GMT

Survey data from 1700 senior decision-makers shows that fully mature organizations can achieve five times ROI, but only one percent of companies are currently reaching this level

SEATTLE, June 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Companies looking to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic should focus on accelerating their adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve resilience and prepare for the future, according to Avanade, the leading digital innovator on the Microsoft ecosystem.

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Avanade AI Maturity assessment tool
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Simon Thomas, Data & AI lead, Avanade

Newly published research carried out for Avanade by independent research firm Vanson Bourne, shows that only one percent of companies are fully "AI Mature". But those who are successful in fully integrating AI into their businesses can experience up to five times return on investment through a combination of increased productivity, improved process efficiency and lower operating costs.

To help companies assess where they are on their AI journey and rethink how to accelerate it, Avanade has developed a specialized tool that measures an organization's AI maturity across five key areas of AI adoption, including:

  • AI Strategy
  • AI Talent & Culture
  • Digital Ethics
  • Data Supply Chain and Analytics
  • Technology and Process

The tool then uses the assessment information, together with data collected from the Avanade AI Maturity Survey of 1700 senior business and IT decision-makers across 15 countries, to plot the company's position and highlight key areas to develop and insert AI for business optimization.

"While uncertainties around the human impact of AI have diminished significantly in recent years, most companies are still grappling with how to implement it to achieve meaningful, sustainable business outcomes," said Simon Thomas, Avanade Data and AI lead. "With business resilience currently being tested to its fullest, organizations need to rethink and accelerate their integration of AI to take full advantage of it benefits, whatever the future holds. Our AI assessment tool can help them start and take that journey."

Avanade's research showed that while most companies recognize the potential of AI to have a positive impact on their businesses, many executives are struggling to successfully implement it:

  • AI Strategy:  95% of respondents find AI is critical but a third (32%) cite building AI strategy as one of the top three barriers, and a similar amount (35%) are looking externally to get help creating their strategy.
  • Talent and Culture:  80% of respondents agree that business culture and change are THE make or break for AI's long-term success, and over half (54%) are struggling with recruiting AI talent and/or shifting their culture.
  • Digital Ethics: 96% find that ensuring "digital ethics by design" is necessary to implement AI and 66% are implementing a digital ethics framework.
  • Technology and Process:  61% of respondents have experimented with automation and advanced analytics, with half of those using computer vision (35%) or virtual agents (34%).
  • Data Supply Chain: 65% of organizations say that their data quality needs improvement.

Summaries highlighting each of the five areas explored by Avanade's research are available on Avanade.com.

About the research:

  • The research was conducted between 2018 and 2020 through research firm Vanson Bourne.
  • It surveyed 1,700 senior decision-makers in HR, Operations, IT, Marketing, Service and Support and other leadership roles including C-suite members.
  • Industry sectors included: Industrial Manufacturing, Retail Banking/General Insurance, Consumer Packaged Goods/B2C Manufacturing, Resources, Retail and other commercial sectors.
  • Respondent countries include: US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Nordics, Japan, Singapore and Australia.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Matt Tucker
Email: matthew.n.tucker@avanade.com

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