Intelligent Conversation Automation Readiness/Enablement Checklist | Market Insights™
June 7, 2021
Intelligent Conversation Automation
VIEW THE REPORT PAGE
Intelligent Conversation Automation
VIEW THE REPORT PAGE
In this era of industrialization for Artificial Intelligence (AI), enterprises are scrambling to embed AI across a plethora of use cases in hopes of achieving higher productivity and enhanced experiences. However, as AI permeates through different functions of an enterprise, managing the entire charter gets tough. Working with multiple Machine Learning (ML) models in both pilot and production can lead to chaos, stretched timelines to market, and stale models. As a result, we see enterprises hamstrung to successfully scale AI enterprise-wide.
To overcome the challenges enterprises face in their ML journeys and ensure successful industrialization of AI, enterprises need to shift from the current method of model management to a faster and more agile format. An ideal solution that is emerging is MLOps – a confluence of ML and information technology operations based on the concept of DevOps.
According to our recently published primer on MLOps, Successfully Scaling Artificial Intelligence – Machine Learning Operations (MLOps), these sets of practices are aimed at streamlining the ML lifecycle management with enhanced collaboration between data scientists and operations teams. This close partnering accelerates the pace of model development and deployment and helps in managing the entire ML lifecycle.
MLOps is modeled on the principles and practices of DevOps. While continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD) are common to both, MLOps introduces the following two unique concepts:
We are witnessing MLOps gaining momentum in the ecosystem, with hyperscalers developing dedicated solutions for comprehensive machine learning management to fast-track and simplify the entire process. Just recently, Google launched Vertex AI, a managed AI platform, which aims to solve these precise problems in the form of an end-to-end MLOps solution.
MLOps bolsters the scaling of ML models by using a centralized system that assists in logging and tracking the metrics required to maintain thousands of models. Additionally, it helps create repeatable workflows to easily deploy these models.
Below are a few additional benefits of employing MLOps within your enterprise:
Implementing MLOps is complex because it requires a multi-functional and cross-team effort across the key elements of people, process, tools/platforms, and strategy underpinned by rigorous change management.
As enterprises embark on their MLOps journey, here are a few key best practices to pave the way for a smooth transition:
When embarking on the MLOps journey, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Enterprises need to assess their goals, examine their current ML tooling and talent, and also factor in the available time and resources to arrive at an MLOps strategy that best suits their needs.
For ML to keep pace with the agility of modern business, enterprises need to start experimenting with MLOps now.
Are you looking to scale AI within your enterprise with the help of MLOps? Please share your thoughts with us at [email protected].
Everest Group’s Anil Vijayan and Amardeep Modi will join experts from Microsoft and HCL Technologies to explore how — with the right set of enabling initiatives — enterprises can help enhance the adoption of automation through their business user community, and exponentially scale their automation outcomes.
They will discuss:
Join us Wednesday, May 26, 2021, at 11 am CST, 12 pm EST, 4 pm GMT, 9:30 pm IST
Live, virtual event
Amardeep Modi
Practice Director, Everest Group
Anil Vijayan
Vice President, Everest Group
Joy Trajano
Director, Marketing Operations, Microsoft
Ashvini Sharma
Group Program Manager, Microsoft
Jason Skelton
Sr. Group Marketing Tech Manager, Microsoft
Siddharth Gandhi
Director, Digital Process Operations, HCL Technologies
Rachit Chawla
Director, Digital Process Operations, HCL Technologies
Imagine a utopia where minimum human intervention is needed to run an entire shop floor. In this world, manufacturers have total control and visibility of all products, machines predict equipment failures and correct them, shelves count inventory, and customers check themselves out. While such a supply chain model seems improbable and far into the future, the likes of Amazon, Walmart, and Toyota, are already on their way to achieving this vision. At the center of their supply chain initiatives making this possible is the Internet of Things (IoT.)
The supply chain is considered the backbone of a successful enterprise. However, firms find it increasingly challenging to establish a robust supply chain model. The disruptions caused by COVID-19 have further made matters worse as ‘disconnected enterprises’ struggle to gain complete supply chain visibility. The pandemic has established that supply chain disruptions and uncertainties will become more frequent going forward.
The current supply chain landscape faces numerous challenges that need to be addressed. These issues are illustrated below:
As enterprises strive to develop a resilient supply chain, IoT will occupy the center stage. An interconnected supply chain will bring together suppliers/vendors, logistic providers, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, and customers dispersed by geography. The technology ensures improved efficiency, better risk management, end-to-end visibility, and enhanced stakeholder experience.
A seamlessly connected supply chain provides advantages at every stage of the value chain for each of the stakeholders. The exhibit below showcases a connected supply chain ecosystem:
Let’s look at how some companies are capturing the benefits IoT:
Using real-time data (captured from GPS coordinates) tracking the movement of raw materials/finished goods, IoT technology aids firms in determining where and when products get delayed. This helps managers ensure route optimization and better plan the delivery schedule. IoT, in combination with blockchain, helps secure the products against fraud. For example, Novo Surgical leverages IoT for optimally tracking and tracing its ‘smart surgical instruments.’ This has reduced errors, decreased surgical instrument loss, increased visibility and efficiency, and improved forecasting of demand for the firm.
Sensors on machines constantly collect information around the functioning of the machine, enabling managers to monitor them in real time. By analyzing parameters such as machine temperature, vibration, etc., manufacturers can better predict machine downtime and take necessary actions to mitigate this. For instance, Toyota partnered with Hitachi to leverage the vendor’s IoT platform and use the data collected to reduce unexpected machine failures and improve the reliability and efficiency of equipment.
IoT sensors in the warehouse assist in tracking the movement of individual items, providing an efficient way to monitor inventory levels and prevent pilferage. Smart shelves contain weight sensors that monitor the product weight to determine when products are out of stock. Walmart has been leveraging smart shelves in its retail stores to manage its products more efficiently and improve the shopping experience.
IoT technology uses sensors that can monitor and adjust warehouse parameters such as humidity, temperature, pressure, and avoiding spoiling of items. Leading e-commerce players like Amazon and Alibaba have been pioneers in leveraging IoT to optimize warehouse management.
As enterprises aim to future-proof their supply chain, they will need a structured path following these five steps below:
Since IoT is an interplay of multiple devices and machines, a successful IoT implementation requires firms to invest in sensors, cloud/edge infrastructure, IoT connectivity networks, data management and analytics solutions, and application development and management. Enterprises can accelerate their IoT supply chain journeys by partnering with solution providers with strong expertise in IoT products and services capabilities in the supply chain arena.
Are you embarking on your connected supply chain journey? Please share your thoughts and experiences with us at [email protected] and [email protected].
Enterprises have identified Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a quintessential enabling technology in the success of digital transformation initiatives to further increase operational efficiency, improve employee productivity, and deliver enhanced stakeholder experience. According to our recent research, Artificial Intelligence (AI) Services – State of the Market Report 2021 | Scale the AI Summit Through Democratization, more than 72 percent of enterprises have embarked on their AI journey. This increased AI adoption is leading us into an era of industrialization of AI.
Enterprises face many challenges in their AI adoption journey, including rising concerns of privacy, lack of proven Return on Investment (RoI) for AI initiatives, increasing need for explainability, and an extreme crunch for skilled AI talent. According to Everest Group’s recent assessment of the AI services market, 43 percent of the enterprises identified limited availability of skilled, mature, and niche AI talent as one of the biggest challenges they face in scaling their AI initiatives.
Enterprises face this talent crunch in using both the open-source ecosystem and hyperscalers’ AI platforms for the reasons below:
As per our research in the talent readiness assessment, a large demand-supply gap exists for AI technologies (approximately 25 to 30 percent), hindering an enterprise’s ability to attract and retain talent.
In addition to this technical talent crunch, another aspect where enterprises struggle to find the right talent is the non-technical facet of AI that includes roles such as AI ethicists, behavioral scientists, and cognitive linguists.
As more and more enterprises adopt AI, this talent challenge becomes more exacerbated at the same time the demand for AI technologies is skyrocketing. There is an ongoing tussle for AI talent between academic, big tech, and enterprises, and, so far, the big techs are coming out on top. They have been able to successfully recruit huge amounts of AI talent, leaving a drying pool for the rest of the enterprises to fish in.
We see democratization as a potential solution to overcome this expanding talent gap. As we define it, democratization is primarily concerned with making AI accessible to a wider set of users targeted specifically at non-technical business users. The principle behind the concept of democratization is “AI for all.”
Democratization has to do with educating business users in the basic concepts of data and AI and giving them access to the data and tools that can help build a larger database of AI use-cases, develop insights, and find AI-based solutions to their problems.
Enterprises can leverage Everest Group’s four-step democratization framework to help address talent gaps within the enterprise and empower its employees. Here are the steps to guide a successful democratization initiative:
Following these steps, democratization can help reduce the barriers to entry for AI experimentation, accelerate enterprise-wide adoption, and speed up in-house innovation among its benefits.
The industry as a whole is now in the initial stages of AI democratization, which is heavily focused on data and AI literacy initiatives. Some of the more technologically advanced or well-versed enterprises have been early adopters. The exhibit below presents the current market adoption of the four key elements of democratization and a few industry examples:
As part of their democratization efforts, enterprises must also focus on contextualization, change management, and governance to ensure responsible and successful democratization.
By doing this, companies will not only help solve the persistent AI talent crunch but also ensure faster time to market, empower business users, and increase employee productivity. Hence, democratization is an essential step to ensuring the sustainable, inclusive, and responsible adoption of AI.
What have you experienced in your democratization journey? Please share your thoughts with us at [email protected] or at [email protected].
Yesterday’s announcement of Microsoft’s acquisition of Nuance Communications signifies the big tech company’s serious intentions in the US healthcare market.
We’ve been writing about industry cloud and verticalization plays of big technology companies (nicknamed BigTech) for a while now. With the planned acquisition of Nuance Communications for US$19.7 billion, Microsoft has made its most definitive step in the healthcare and verticalization journey.
At a base level, what matters to Microsoft is that Nuance focuses on conversational AI. Over the years, it has become quite the phenomenon among physicians and healthcare providers – 77 percent of US hospitals are Nuance clients. Also, it is not just a healthcare standout – Nuance counts 85 percent of Fortune 100 organizations as customers. Among Nuance’s claims to fame in conversational AI is the fact that it powered the speech recognition engine in Apple’s Siri.
The acquisition is attractive to Microsoft for the following reasons:
While other competitors (read Amazon, Salesforce, and Google) were busy launching healthcare-focused offerings in 2020, Microsoft was already helping healthcare providers use Microsoft Teams for virtual physician visits. Also, Microsoft and Nuance are not strangers, having partnered in 2019, to enable ambient listening capabilities for physician to EHR record keeping. Microsoft sees a clear opportunity in the US healthcare industry.
It is not without reason that Microsoft launched its cloud for healthcare last year and has followed it up by acquiring Nuance.
Under Nadella, Microsoft has developed a sophisticated sales model that takes a portfolio approach to clients. This has helped Microsoft build a strong positioning beyond its Office and Windows offerings even in healthcare. Most clients in healthcare are already exposed to its Power Apps portfolio and Intelligent Cloud (including Azure and cloud for healthcare) in some form. It is only a question of time (if the acquisition closes without issues) until Nuance becomes part of its suite of offerings for healthcare.
As a rejoinder to our earlier point about head starts, this is where Microsoft has a lead over competitors. Our recent research with System Integrators (SI) ecosystem indicates that Microsoft is head and shoulders above its nearest competitors when it comes to leveraging the SI partnership channel to bring its offerings to enterprises. This can act as a significant differentiator when it comes to taking Nuance to healthcare customers as SI partners can expect favorable terms of engagement.
While augmenting healthcare capabilities and clients is the primary trigger for this purchase, we believe Microsoft aims to go beyond healthcare to achieve the following objectives:
This announcement comes against the background of BigTech and platform companies making significant moves to industry-specific use cases, which will drive the next wave of client adoption and competitive differentiation. Microsoft’s turnaround and acceleration since Nadella took over as CEO in 2014 are commendable (see the image below). It is on the verge of becoming only the second company to achieve $2 trillion in market capitalization. This move is a bet on its journey beyond the $2 trillion.
What do you make of its move? Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] and [email protected] to share your opinion.
Automotive ER&D
VIEW THE REPORT PAGE
With a connected world and connected humans, we are on track for a huge uptick in new data creation at an unprecedented level. IoT, digitization, and cloud have brought on the generation and storage of ZBs of data created each day. Data has become the new oil but with some caveats. The tap of this oil is controlled by a few organizations globally, making this data asset scarce and expensive. However, enterprises in their pursuit of digital transformation require this data to get insights for better decision-making.
The next logical question arises as to how we can get hold of this data, which, if utilized to its full potential, has the power to transform enterprises. This is where synthetic data comes to play. It is the form of data that is created inorganically rather than being generated through actual interactions or events. It is usually formed by studying the characteristics and relations between different variables. A total of three types of synthetic data exist, which are shown below.
Exhibit 1: Types of synthetic data
With the cultural shift towards insights-based decision making from gut-based decision making and the onset of data literacy initiatives, enterprises require apt insights, which further require the generation of huge amounts of data. There are a few instances highlighted below which make a strong case for synthetic data.
There are usually three strategies to generate synthetic data. These include some simplistic techniques as well as methods infused heavily with AI.
Exhibit 2: Techniques to generate synthetic data
Sampling from distribution is simply drawing a lot of random numbers from a normal distribution. Agent-based modeling understands the behavior of the original data. Once the characteristics are defined, it creates new data keeping the behavior constraints in place. Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) models are synthetic data generation techniques usually used for creating image data. These networks have two DL models, one is a generator, and the other is known as a discriminator. For example, GAN can take random noises as its input. Then the generator generates output images, whereas the discriminator tries to find whether the output is fake or real. The more the image is closer to the real one, the output can be considered as real.
An infinite source of data that mimics the real dataset can provide innumerable opportunities to create test scenarios during development.
Synthetic data acts as a beneficiary for enterprises across domains and industries, with some examples shown below.
However, the use of synthetic data does not come without its own set of limitations.
Despite these limitations, enterprises should be keen to adopt synthetic data as they have an opportunity to disrupt the business landscape by utilizing data and its benefits to full potential. It can prove to be the push that was required for AI/ML to penetrate across enterprises and gain more traction.
If you’ve utilized synthetic data in your enterprise or know about more areas where synthetic data can be advantageous and disadvantageous, please write to us at [email protected] and [email protected]. We’d love to hear your experiences and ideas!
© 2011-2022 Everest Global, Inc. Privacy Notice Terms of Use Do Not Sell My Information
