Redefining Business Processes via AI
In an upcoming study by Amrop’s Global Digital Practice, we will explore differing approaches to leadership, and the ability to derive competitive advantage, with respect to the application of AI.
In preparation, we have been speaking with leaders of midsized companies, venture-backed businesses and larger corporations who have all shared their experiences in leveraging AI strategies for their organization and customers.
Among our interviewees is Geert-Jan van der Snoek, CEO at Sdu and Board Member at Lefebvre Sarrut SA, which is the European leader in legal and tax knowledge and a pioneer in generative AI for legal, tax and audit professionals. Among other AI-related questions, he talked to Job Voorhoeve, Partner at Amrop the Netherlands and a leader of Amrop’s Global Digital Practice, about who at the organization should be buying and dealing with AI solutions, how it changes the way a company operates, and about redefining clients’ business processes through providing them with AI-based products.
Job Voorhoeve: In your opinion, what profiles and experience should the people who are dealing with or buying AI have?
Geert-Jan van der Snoek: There are two questions there. First, who's buying AI? A lot of the media hype about AI is focused on ChatGPT and Generative AI, but AI is far more than that. Typically, you see that AI is linked to the IT department, but, on the other hand, AI is -from my view- not a product, you sell something much deeper. It's similar to selling an internet connection - it's not only the internet connection, but also the whole way of working within the company. The discussion sometimes depends on where you are, for example, within the government and large corporates you start with procurement, then the IT departments, but the real discussion, at the end of the day, takes place at the board table with the CEO – they’re going to make the decision. They have to understand it and, most importantly, resist the internal fight about working for AI. Then later comes the procurement again. It is all about optimizing your business process, way-of-working, needed competences and most importantly changing your culture.
Job Voorhoeve: What business do you expect from investing in AI leadership capabilities?
Geert-Jan van der Snoek: Again, you're not selling a product, so it needs much more consultancy skills, you really have to understand the client, its process and ecosystem. You're not selling an IT or tech solution. You have to understand very well what the issues are with the client, what they want to realize with AI. That's where the discussion starts, and then quite often, you have to change that perspective together with the client. For instance, we have administration jobs, so you have our tooling, you don't have to do all the administration jobs yourself. That's an easy catch. But what does it change in your pricing model for the client? If you bring in AI, it will change the simple, easy administrative work, it will change the workflow of the junior consultants, essentially, but also their pricing model as a consulting company, and that’s very important – and that's the discussion you have to have with them, because if they see this, they understand that the price they pay is not just for the tooling. So, you have to know the business processes of your client because you’re essentially redefining them.
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To find out more, reach out to Job Voorhoeve or the Digital Practice members in your country!
Our upcoming AI study will include analysis, conclusions and recommendations in the context of Amrop’s Digital Competency Model and the Chief AI Officer profile in the coming months.