AI integration with clear outcome is top priority for businesses: IBM Consulting
IBM Consulting views AI as the top priority across sectors in India, and businesses are now seeking clear outcomes through the implementation of this technology.
IBM Consulting, the technology services arm of IBM, sees AI as the top priority for enterprises today, and they seek outcomes which have an impact across multiple segments.
In an interaction with EnterpriseStory, Rishi Aurora, Managing Partner, IBM Consulting - India & South Asia, said, “Every discussion with our clients, they expect us to tell them how AI can be infused in their projects or what we are going to do for them.”
Today, the conversation around AI is no longer about experimentation with this technology platform. Instead, enterprises are now looking at outcomes. Aurora said this has led to a new approach by IBM Consulting where the AI investments are focused on outcomes, which could lead to lowering of cost, enhancing customer experience or expanding the revenue stream.
Here, IBM's wide range of technology offerings and services come into play as it can provide multiple options to its customer base along with its own AI platform, watsonx. In addition, it also has partnerships with other leading technology companies such as Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, SAP, and Oracle, to name a few.
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Aurora says they bring the IBM Consulting Advantage platform, which leads to further simplification of the process through higher automation.
“This is basically a new hybrid way of working where it is physical and digital labour (AI agents) coming together to deliver an outcome,” Aurora said.
This hybrid model of engagement has its own advantages for IBM Consulting as its workforce is now able to focus more on value-added services for its clients. “Our AI playbook is about investment to impact,” Aurora said.
The IBM executive emphasised the element of trust while designing, building and deploying AI. Other elements include privacy, security, robustness and fairness, which comprise the governance structure. “If one is looking at an outcome, then one should be able to tell the basis of this outcome,” he remarked.
A global IBM CEO Study showed that the growth rate of AI investments is expected to double in the next two years, and the majority of them are actively adopting AI agents with plans to implement them at scale.
Given the long-standing relationship of IBM Consulting in India, it is seeing strong traction from the segments of financial services, manufacturing, government, telecom, retail, etc. Today, the global capability centres (GCCs) have emerged as a strong business unit for the company
“We see opportunities across every business function that we are already doing a lot of work in India on AI,” Aurora said.
He felt that the era of proof of concepts is not generally the discussion point, but now the focus has shifted to how they can provide a clearly defined outcome through AI.
“We have a track record of delivering large and complex programs in India. Our relationships are many decades old as we have continuously delivered innovation over a period of time,” Aurora said.
Edited by Jyoti Narayan