If you’re experimenting with gen AI across your company, be careful not to spread your efforts out too much. Shallow and broad AI deployments may produce short-term wins, but they rarely lead to lasting advantage. A smarter strategy is to go deep and narrow by using AI to strengthen one high-impact area that competitors can’t easily copy. Here’s how.
Identify the most strategic opportunity. Productivity tools like meeting summaries or slide builders are helpful, but they rarely create a competitive edge. Instead, look at core processes or customer experiences tied to your strengths. Choose one high-value domain, like a key product, service, or function, and reimagine it with AI.
Focus on areas of lasting advantage. Use gen AI to enhance existing assets like proprietary data, customer expertise, or operational scale. That way, each deployment compounds your advantage. This could mean speeding up complex work, personalizing service at scale, or reducing barriers to access.
Choose the right sequence of deployment. Starting with cost-efficiency gains within a single domain is often the best way to get executive buy-in. Once momentum builds, expand into growth areas that take longer to realize but create even greater value.
Track how competitors are using AI. If AI helps a rival offer a “good enough” version of your strength, you risk losing ground. Use AI to widen the gap by continually improving how you operate and serve customers. |
