During our spring talk, one thing became evident: Customer Experience (CX) is the area most significantly transformed by artificial intelligence (AI). Moderated by Tilo Kerner, CRO of Sybit, the discussion featured Thomas Langner, Head of Digital Marketing at Mewa, and Niklas Fechner, Solution Advisor at SAP, who explored both current and future AI applications in business. Here are the key takeaways.

How Are Companies Currently Using AI Technology?

Many companies are still in the early stages, particularly with generative AI. However, the most significant transformation is taking place in Customer Experience, including sales, service, e-commerce, and marketing. Studies indicate that up to 20 % of sales tasks could be automated by AI.

Can Companies Remain Competitive Without AI?

AI is not just a competitive advantage; it’s essential for survival in the marketplace. Without AI, businesses will find it difficult to differentiate themselves and operate efficiently.

What Advantages Does AI Offer in Sales and Customer Service?

AI optimizes processes by handling tasks like scheduling meetings, generating emails, and retrieving information. This allows employees to focus on more strategic, value-adding activities.

Does AI Make the Human Factor Obsolete?

No, the human element remains critical. AI takes over repetitive tasks, giving employees more time to focus on complex and personalized responsibilities.

What IT Architecture Is Required to Implement AI Successfully?

SAP utilizes a conversational layer called Joule, which is embedded across all its solutions. Additionally, embedded AI functionalities are directly available within the solutions. These are integrated through the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP).

How Secure Is Data When Using AI?

SAP maintains high standards of data protection and security. Customer data is not used for training foundational models, ensuring that data misuse does not occur.

What Are the Short- and Long-Term ROI Potentials of AI?

In the long term, AI helps manage societal shifts by reducing workloads and increasing efficiency. In the short term, businesses can significantly save time and costs, such as a 20 % reduction in administrative tasks within sales and service.

Challenges in AI Implementation

  • Data Availability and Quality: Data must be well-structured and accessible.
  • Data Protection and Security: Customer data must be processed securely and safely.
  • Employee Acceptance: Employees must be involved in the change process and receive proper training.
  • Technological Infrastructure: The IT architecture must be flexible and scalable to accommodate AI solutions.

Solutions

  • Data Preparation: Companies must ensure that their data is structured and accessible.
  • Transparency and Education: Employees and customers should be educated on the benefits and workings of AI.
  • Use of Embedded AI Functionalities: SAP offers solutions that integrate AI capabilities directly into existing systems.
  • Incremental Implementation: Small, quick wins help increase acceptance and build experience.

Specific, Currently Feasible Applications of AI

  • Automating Sales Tasks: Tasks like scheduling, follow-up emails, and customer information retrieval.
  • Customer Service: Use of chatbots for standard inquiries, automated ticket processing, and case summarization.
  • E-Commerce: Generating product descriptions and personalizing the shopping experience.
  • Marketing: Automated content creation and targeted campaign execution.
  • Lead and Opportunity Scoring: Automatically evaluating and prioritizing sales opportunities.
  • Service Knowledge Management: Automatic creation of knowledge base articles to improve internal knowledge retention and efficiency.

Conclusion

The expert talk demonstrated that AI has a massive impact on customer experience, helping companies work more efficiently and customer-focused. While challenges around data and employee acceptance remain, the potential benefits of AI are undeniable. In the future, AI will be crucial for staying competitive—or, as the saying goes, "No AI, No Cookies."