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How to turn AI buzz into business value

The productivity leap enabled by the third wave of artificial intelligence requires, above all, investments in people. Learning new things must start from the top management of the company, Niina Uusi-Autti reminds us.

The first wave of artificial intelligence introduced the ability to predict future events and personalise content. The second wave brought large language models and generative AI, such as services like ChatGPT.

Although generative AI represented a major breakthrough, an even bigger shift is already underway. The third wave of AI better understands context and cause-and-effect relationships, allowing it to adapt its behaviour to each specific situation. AI is no longer just capable of thinking; it can also act.

At the heart of this change are AI agents that can autonomously carry out tasks previously done by humans, collaborating with other agents as needed. For companies, this presents an opportunity to automate operations, reshape value streams, boost efficiency, and even completely reinvent their business models.

But success is not primarily about technology, it’s about people. Achieving a productivity leap requires leaders to radically rethink their value streams and the role of people in their organisations.

From buzz to real value: four steps to AI-driven productivity

This spring, Sofigate conducted a market study examining how large Finnish companies are using AI to increase productivity. While 74% of surveyed executives believe AI will significantly boost their company’s productivity, only 6% reported having used AI to transform their business across unit boundaries.

In other words, AI has sparked a lot of talk and experimentation but created little concrete value so far. To achieve a genuine productivity leap, four key course corrections are needed:

  1. Lead the change
    Our research shows that many Finnish executives still have a limited surface-level understanding of AI’s potential and the actions needed to drive a productivity leap. As a result, goals are not ambitious enough, AI initiatives lack strategic leadership, and investment remains inadequate. Change must start at the top.
  2. Invest in people
    The transformation enabled by the third wave of AI will not happen unless people change the way they work in the organization. Companies aiming for a productivity leap must focus on building people’s skills and capabilities. A good rule of thumb: for every euro invested in technology, invest three euros in change leadership and staff training over the long term.
  3. Build a new operating model
    The AI powered leap in productivity is not a finite project with a beginning and an end, it’s a fundamental transformation in how an organisation operates. Once a company clearly defines its strategic priorities, it can begin to develop and operate AI agents continuously and reshape how teams, units, and eventually the entire organisation create value. Leadership must continuously evaluate results and eliminate bottlenecks.
  4. Scale benefits through platforms
    Gains in productivity at the team or unit level are great, but a true productivity leap requires company-wide transformation. The key to this lies in business platforms that enable cross-functional value streams (people, AI agents, and processes) to be redefined. Platforms like ServiceNow and Salesforce already come with a rich set of features that can accelerate the value creation from AI initiatives. Since these platforms update automatically, they also help ensure companies don’t fall behind in the fast pace of technological change.

How we got started

Real transformation requires leadership. For business leaders, that means understanding the disruptive potential of AI and having the courage and ability to invest in change. Standing still is not an option since no one is immune to AI’s transformative effects.

For a partner like us, this also means we must practice what we preach. So how do we drink our own champagne?

  1. Members of our leadership team were each assigned a personal AI coach similar to a personal trainer at the gym to help them develop their AI capabilities and understand AI’s implications from a leadership perspective. This initiative also led to the development of our customer offering: the AI Personal Trainer service.
  2. We defined a vision to guide our own transformation journey. We decided to invest 2% of our revenue – three million euros – into renewing our business and commercialising AI agents.
  3. We created a new leadership role within our executive team to drive business renewal and build new capabilities across all functions.
  4. We adopted the mindset that AI is not a one-off project with a clear start and end, it’s a continuous, fast-paced effort. We are building an entirely new operating model for our business.

Interested in hearing more? Read our market study on AI and leap in productivity.

Niina Uusi-Autti is a digital business professional and business leader with broad experience in digital transformation, developing digital business, and utilising data and AI as part of both business operations and leadership. At Sofigate, Niina leads strategic renewal and the development of new capabilities as a member of the company’s executive team.

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