In this edition we continue our 4 Part series, Artificial Intelligence In Action, commissioned from our good friends at propella.ai.
Part 3: Increasing AI Engagement and Productivity in Professional Services Firms with Strategic Training Initiatives
This article spotlights a recent case study showing how propella.ai successfully increased AI adoption and engagement within an Australian Professional Services firm. By implementing a strategic training and change management initiative, propella.ai helped the firm significantly boost employee productivity and output accuracy through effective utilisation of a custom AI assistant.
Client: A progressive Australian Professional Services firm integrated a custom AI assistant into their operations in mid-2023. They aimed to enhance employee productivity and output accuracy by providing secure, industry-specific information through the AI assistant developed by propella.ai.
Challenge: Despite the powerful capabilities of the AI assistant, initial engagement among employees was surprisingly low. Utilisation metrics indicated that employees were not using the AI tool effectively, revealing gaps in the initial implementation and adoption strategy. This posed a significant challenge for the firm, which needed to address this low engagement to fully leverage the AI investment.
Objective: The firm set clear objectives to overcome this challenge.
- Increase employee engagement with the AI assistant.
- Improve overall AI tool utilisation within the firm.
- Demonstrate AI’s benefits in enhancing job efficiency and accuracy.
- Promote a supportive culture for AI adoption through training and recognition initiatives.
Solution: To tackle these challenges, the firm introduced weekly, optional training sessions (named “AI Dojo”) run by propella.ai. These sessions aimed to educate employees on effectively using the AI assistant and integrating it into their daily tasks. Additionally, the AI assistant was given a highly recognisable and lovable persona, effectively making it seen as another member of the team.
The first AI Dojo session, held on September 3rd, 2024, saw overwhelming attendance and positive feedback. Since then, these training sessions have continued every Tuesday, covering a variety of topics designed to teach employees how to incorporate the AI assistant into their everyday work, fostering a culture of continuous learning and engagement with the AI tool.
Outcomes: The training sessions proved to be highly effective, leading to several tangible outcomes.
- Increased Usage: AI assistant usage more than doubled from August to September 2024 (when the Dojo sessions began).
Figure 1 – Total “Chat Items Over Time” for total AI Assistant Usage from July 2023 to November 2024
- Continued Engagement: Ongoing growth in utilisation was observed through October 2024, with only a slight decrease in November which was a shorter month for the firm with the Spring Racing Carnival giving all employees 2 work-free days early in the month.
- High Attendance: Regular standing-room-only participation in AI Dojo sessions.
- Positive Feedback: Employees provided extensive positive feedback on training effectiveness.
- Enhanced Work Efficiency: Employees reported improvements in both the quality and quantity of their work.
- Competitive Motivation: Introduction of a usage leaderboard encouraged healthy competition and increased engagement.
Figure 2 – “Total Chat Items by User” Employee Leaderboard for AI Assistant Usage
Figure 3 – Shows Active Users compared with total Active Employees within the firm in the past 6 months
This firm’s journey underscores the importance of investing in comprehensive training and change management initiatives alongside implementing AI technology. By creating a supportive and engaging environment, and educating employees on the practical benefits of AI, the firm successfully increased AI engagement, leading to significant improvements in productivity and accuracy. Their strategic approach serves as a valuable example for other organisations looking to enhance AI adoption within their teams.
Propella.ai held a webinar on the importance of robust change management and training when implementing AI initiatives. You can watch the webinar here.
To learn more about AI Implementation and Training Services offered by propella.ai, contact us today.
