Generative AI Is Everywhere — and It’s the Most Accessible and Easiest Type of AI to Integrate into Our Lives, Both at Work and at Home

It enables us to automate tasks, improve productivity, and amplify creativity.

Despite its ease of access (creating an OpenAI account takes only a few minutes), generative AI requires a well-thought-out strategy.

Before deploying this technology at scale, you need to ask three essential questions:

• Can you measure your potential gains? Without a starting point, it’s difficult to assess impact.
• Are you simply going to automate tasks, or will you create additional value?
• What will you do with the time saved?

The last question may seem unnecessary, but it is actually essential. What will you do with the time gained thanks to AI?

A recent study from the University of Lausanne reveals that while AI allows managers to save an average of 2 hours and 50 minutes per week, nearly 36% of them waste half of that time.

Even more surprising, a majority report simply doing “more of the same” instead of dedicating that time to learning, innovation, or well-being.

In short, measuring gains is not enough. You must use them intelligently.

Here are the four key steps to successfully implement generative AI in your organization and ensure that the time saved does not go to waste.

1. Assess Your Current Situation Before Implementing

Before thinking about AI, you need to measure current productivity.

Why?

Because without a baseline, you won’t know whether AI is truly generating a return on investment.

Because without an expected ROI, you won’t be able to prioritize projects.

Which KPIs should you track?

Measuring productivity is often more complex when dealing with humans rather than machines. A time study can be an excellent starting point (see Myth #1), but other factors must also be considered, such as the cost of poor quality and customer impact.

Three examples of KPIs:

• Time spent on repetitive tasks (document drafting, email responses, reporting).
• Cost of errors and corrections (e.g., mistakes in quotes or data entry errors).
• Customer response time (e.g., speed of request processing).

2. Identify the Right Use Cases

Generative AI should not only replace tasks; it should also enable you to do more and do it better.

Ask yourself this question:

If I had an unlimited number of interns or assistants tomorrow morning, what would I do more of—or do better—for my clients or employees?

Here are a few use cases to inspire you. The best opportunities for your business will be identified through the evaluation completed in step one.

Use cases specific to generative AI:

Production & Operations

• Information retrieval from technical manuals and assembly procedures.
• Creation of detailed natural-language instructions for operators.

Supply Chain & Logistics

• Automatic drafting of order follow-up emails and delay explanations.
• Generation of negotiation templates to support procurement teams.

Human Resources & Training

• Automated creation of training content and quizzes for employees.
• Drafting optimized job postings and job descriptions.

Marketing & Sales

• Writing customized commercial proposals.
• Automatic generation of marketing content (product sheets, blog articles, LinkedIn posts).

Finance & Accounting

• Automatic summaries of financial reports and budget analyses.
• Drafting responses to audit and compliance requests.

Generative AI should not just accelerate work; it should unlock new opportunities.

3. Choose the Right Tools and Govern Their Use

Once use cases are identified, the crucial question becomes: which tool should you choose, and how should it be used responsibly?

With the explosion of generative AI solutions, it can be tempting to implement a tool quickly. However, without rigorous selection and clear governance, adoption may be ineffective—or even risky.

The objective is twofold: choose the right tools for your organization and define usage guidelines that maximize value while minimizing risk.

Examples of popular tools:

Microsoft Copilot → Generative AI integrated into Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).

ChatGPT / Claude / Gemini → Conversational and creative assistants.

ERP systems with generative AI → SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, and Zoho already integrate AI features.

Before scaling deployment, you must establish a usage policy.

Why is this essential?

To protect data confidentiality (prevent sensitive information from being entered into external AI systems).

To avoid misinformation (AI can sometimes generate inaccurate content).

To define best practices (human validation should be mandatory for certain tasks).

To comply with regulations such as the EU AI Act. Even if the regulation is not yet in force in Canada, it is reasonable to assume our legislation will follow similar guidelines.

A best practice is to test the tool with a small pilot group, adjust the policy based on feedback, and then gradually expand its use.

4. Support the Human Side of Change

Implementing new technology does not rely solely on powerful tools.

The human factor is often the true determinant of success.

Adopting generative AI also means supporting teams, addressing psychological barriers, and integrating the tool into employees’ daily routines. A well-designed approach encourages natural and productive adoption.

Technology × Adoption = Results

Strategies for successful adoption:

Clearly explain why and how AI will be used.

Involve teams from the beginning to reduce fear of change.

Quickly demonstrate tangible gains to build buy-in.

Provide gradual training to avoid frustration and maximize ownership.

Conclusion: Don’t Skip Steps

Generative AI is a tremendous opportunity to increase efficiency, innovate, and improve the work experience. But like any transformation, it requires strategic preparation and reflection on its true impact.

By following these steps—assessing your current situation, identifying the right use cases, selecting appropriate tools, and supporting human change—you maximize your chances of a successful transition while making the most of the time saved.

And above all, ask the ultimate question: Do you really need it?

Because AI, like any innovation, should be a lever—not a distraction.

Note: This article was conceived and written by humans, then reviewed by ChatGPT to improve the reader experience.

Reference
Don’t Let Gen AI Limit Your Team’s Creativity. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2024/03/dont-let-gen-ai-limit-your-teams-creativity