Generative Enterprises: Shaping the Future of Work
Jane, the Head of Customer Service at a leading E-commerce company braces herself for the Christmas week. She logs into her dashboard, ready for a hundred tickets, escalation emails, and unsavory comments. This year, however, a generative AI tool analyzes thousands of common issues, spots trends, and even suggests solutions. What once took days and dozens of people now happens in a blink.
Today’s generative AI helps businesses work smarter and faster.
Generative AI will certainly be an important topic for discussion among global leaders at WEF Davos. Companies are using it to drive digital transformation, create new opportunities, and change how we work. For businesses reshaping as Generative Enterprises, AI doesn’t just automate tasks. It enables teams to make better, informed decisions and explore new possibilities.
We have evolved from automation to digitization to now generative AI that truly enables businesses to streamline operations, drive positive transformation, and harness innovation like never before.
What is a Generative Enterprise?
A Generative Enterprise does not just use AI for basic tasks like sorting emails or scheduling meetings. It uses generative AI to actively create ideas, new products or solutions, and furthermore, replicates human cognition (at some point). Imagine humans and AI collaborating in real-time to think, learn, adapt, and respond. Generative Enterprises are:
- Creative: Generative AI enables innovation at scale, designing unique products, solutions, and customer experiences.
- Perceptive: AI senses market changes, customer behavior, and societal trends so that businesses can respond proactively.
- Autonomous: AI-driven systems and processes handle complex tasks autonomously. from supply chain management to customer service to finance, with minimal human intervention.
- Productive: AI in customer engagement equips employees with intelligent tools to improve productivity and decision-making.
- Conscious: A Generative Enterprise promotes an inclusive, fair, and sustainable workplace, while ensuring AI creates better opportunities for all.
In a Generative Enterprise, AI complements human expertise, enabling businesses to deliver efficiency without losing personal touch.
The Role of Generative AI in Furthering Digital Transformation
While many enterprises have adopted AI, the real transformation comes from deeply integrating generative AI into your business processes. According to a study by HFS and Tech Mahindra, 35% of enterprises have transitioned beyond theoretical applications of generative AI and are now seeing tangible business outcomes. For others, now is the time.
Here are three ways in which generative AI is changing the way we do business:
AI as the Core of Business Operations
To fully leverage generative AI capabilities, it should be central to decision-making, process improvements, and customer engagements. Case in point: Tech Mahindra partnered with a global automotive manufacturer to improve their car design intelligence. Their marketing teams once took 9 months to analyze customer feedback (in various formats). Now, they gain these insights in just a few weeks, aligning product teams with customer expectations to improve car designs.
Human + AI for Maximum Efficacy
A Generative Enterprise thrives on human-AI collaborative workflows. They promote dynamic processes where AI continuously learns and adapts to the human way of working. AI becomes an enabler but NOT a decision-maker. For example, Tech Mahindra worked with a global network solutions provider to integrate intelligent agents into their network management system . The result was a radical shift from a static interface into an interactive, problem-solving assistant.
Improved Operational Efficiency with AI
Year-on-year operational efficiency improvement remains a challenge. Scale at Speed™ - with generative AI, it is possible to quickly identify, isolate, and optimize repetitive tasks and workflows. For example, Tech Mahindra’s work with a leading energy company, where they integrated Robotic Process Automation (RPA), into HR, Finance, and Customer Service processes. This significantly reduced operating costs. improved the speed and accuracy of operations, and freed employees to focus on strategic tasks.
Organizational Culture must Embrace AI
To thrive as a Generative Enterprise, we need a culture that embraces AI and prioritizes continuous learning. They will attract top talent and enable their workforce to leverage generative AI’s full potential in a safe environment with no fear of AI taking over. This is where initiatives like Tech Mahindra’s AI proficiency framework become important. It empowers employees to upskill through certifications and to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios.
Tech Mahindra’s Project Indus is a great example of how AI can serve diverse populations and promote inclusivity in the digital age. The project aims to build a culturally-rooted foundation model for Indian languages, simplify communication across India, and preserve its regional languages and dialects.
From Dreaming to Doing
The future of work is changing fast, with generative AI at the fore. While the potential for generative AI is vast, many organizations remain stuck with pilot projects and proofs of concept. AI is not about replacing humans; it is about enhancing human potential.
While it is a question of if not now than when, generative AI companies must also be mindful of responsible AI use. A human-in-the loop will bring in that much-needed empathy and values that our customers want. For example, while AI in customer engagement helps you respond more quickly and accurately, it is the empathy and understanding of human agents that creates lasting customer relationships.
Conclusion
As we look to the future, the organizations that succeed in becoming generative will be those that prioritize AI as the backbone of their operations, continuously adapt their processes and workflows, and empower their employees with the tools and skills needed to drive innovation. The generative future is not a distant dream but a present-day opportunity for businesses ready to embrace the revolution.
As we approach the World Economic Forum (WEF) Davos, there will be more meaningful conversations, success stories, and interesting developments to share around the concept of Generative Enterprise.
