What it takes to become an AI company: Four lessons from the top

Becoming an AI company is not just about the technology, but also involves a fundamental shift in how a business operates. Four key lessons have emerged from this transformation at Precisely:

1. Start with the business objective - Clarify the desired business outcomes, such as growth, innovation, customer relationships, or improved margins. AI can expand possibilities, but leaders must establish clear priorities to ensure AI investments create the most value. Without this focus, AI can add complexity rather than streamline processes.

2. Simplify before accelerating - Once the objective is clear, examine how work is currently done. AI should not be applied to processes that no longer add value. Automating inefficient steps can simply shift bottlenecks to other areas. The entire system needs to evolve: eliminate non-value-added steps and simplify what remains, then accelerate with AI.

3. Redesign how people work - Technology alone does not transform an organization. People must change how they work. At Precisely, intern program participants discovered this firsthand. As they applied AI to real work, they became faster, explored challenges more deeply, and grew more confident in their abilities. AI expands what people can accomplish, and this applies to employees at all levels. Leaders need to rethink jobs, skills, and development in the age of AI.

4. Measure the results that matter - Adoption of AI should not be measured simply by the number of employees using it or tools deployed. Those are inputs, not outcomes. Leaders must examine how AI creates measurable business value - increasing productivity, accelerating time-to-market, freeing up capacity for high-value work, and ultimately driving growth and stronger performance.

AI should be seen as an operating model, not a strategy. Strategy sets the direction, while AI changes how quickly and effectively an organization achieves its goals.