Every AI initiative should start with a clear business need. But that’s only the starting point. It’s just as important to think through the second-order effects of what happens after implementation.
One company we worked with introduced digital assistants in customer service. The first results looked impressive: faster response times, higher efficiency. But something unexpected happened. Sales during service interactions dropped. By optimizing purely for speed, the system ignored the moments where a conversation could deepen a customer relationship.
The company retrained the assistants to balance speed with commercial awareness, helping agents recognize when a customer might be open to an additional product or offer. Once that shift was made, satisfaction, loyalty, and sales improved together.
That’s why the best leaders don’t stop at short-term efficiency. They measure impact through growth, engagement, and lasting business outcomes.