Making AI Accessible for Nontechnical Teams
Strategy
•
Sep 27, 2024
The AI wave is not just for engineers. In fact, some of the most powerful business outcomes come when nontechnical teams—marketers, customer service, operations, finance—get their hands on the right AI tools. But as anyone who has rolled out new technology knows, making AI truly accessible is more than adding a chatbot or plugging in a fancy new tool. The challenge is turning a cutting edge technology into a practical, everyday advantage that everyone can use with confidence.
Recent numbers show this need is urgent. According to a 2024 Salesforce report, more than two thirds of enterprise employees say they want to use AI at work, but only about a quarter feel confident doing so. McKinsey’s annual State of AI survey echoes this, finding most organizations see a big gap between what AI can do and what teams actually use in their daily jobs.
So what separates companies where nontechnical users embrace AI from those where it just sits on the shelf? It comes down to a few practical strategies.
First, the best teams design with the user in mind, not the algorithm. That means starting with everyday workflows and pain points, and only then mapping where AI can help. For example, when Unilever introduced an AI powered HR platform, they began with simple familiar tasks like automated candidate screening before moving to more complex analytics. The result was over 90 percent adoption within months, as reported by Harvard Business Review.
Second, explainability is key. People want to know how and why an AI tool is making recommendations. Companies like Intuit have added plain language explanations into their AI driven finance tools, which boosted user trust and engagement by 30 percent according to their 2024 customer success report. At QuickMVP, we help teams surface these insights by building clear feedback and help features into the user interface.
Third, training and change management make or break adoption. Walmart, for example, created short relevant training sessions and real time support channels when introducing its new AI inventory management system. Within six months, productivity rose and user reported stress fell by 22 percent according to the Walmart AI Operations Report 2024. Training does not have to be long or technical, it just needs to be hands on and accessible.
Finally, successful organizations make AI part of the workflow, not a separate technology project. Tools are integrated into the systems people already use, and processes are updated so that AI powered steps feel seamless. Microsoft’s recent survey of AI driven workplaces found that adoption doubled when AI features were embedded directly into Outlook and Teams instead of in a separate app.
AI can only deliver value if people actually use it and feel comfortable doing so. For nontechnical teams, the secret is not more features or fancier models. It is about listening, simplifying, and putting people first every step of the way. When AI becomes a tool anyone can trust, the real transformation begins.
References:
Related insights
Making AI Accessible for Nontechnical Teams
Strategy
•
Sep 27, 2024
The AI wave is not just for engineers. In fact, some of the most powerful business outcomes come when nontechnical teams—marketers, customer service, operations, finance—get their hands on the right AI tools. But as anyone who has rolled out new technology knows, making AI truly accessible is more than adding a chatbot or plugging in a fancy new tool. The challenge is turning a cutting edge technology into a practical, everyday advantage that everyone can use with confidence.
Recent numbers show this need is urgent. According to a 2024 Salesforce report, more than two thirds of enterprise employees say they want to use AI at work, but only about a quarter feel confident doing so. McKinsey’s annual State of AI survey echoes this, finding most organizations see a big gap between what AI can do and what teams actually use in their daily jobs.
So what separates companies where nontechnical users embrace AI from those where it just sits on the shelf? It comes down to a few practical strategies.
First, the best teams design with the user in mind, not the algorithm. That means starting with everyday workflows and pain points, and only then mapping where AI can help. For example, when Unilever introduced an AI powered HR platform, they began with simple familiar tasks like automated candidate screening before moving to more complex analytics. The result was over 90 percent adoption within months, as reported by Harvard Business Review.
Second, explainability is key. People want to know how and why an AI tool is making recommendations. Companies like Intuit have added plain language explanations into their AI driven finance tools, which boosted user trust and engagement by 30 percent according to their 2024 customer success report. At QuickMVP, we help teams surface these insights by building clear feedback and help features into the user interface.
Third, training and change management make or break adoption. Walmart, for example, created short relevant training sessions and real time support channels when introducing its new AI inventory management system. Within six months, productivity rose and user reported stress fell by 22 percent according to the Walmart AI Operations Report 2024. Training does not have to be long or technical, it just needs to be hands on and accessible.
Finally, successful organizations make AI part of the workflow, not a separate technology project. Tools are integrated into the systems people already use, and processes are updated so that AI powered steps feel seamless. Microsoft’s recent survey of AI driven workplaces found that adoption doubled when AI features were embedded directly into Outlook and Teams instead of in a separate app.
AI can only deliver value if people actually use it and feel comfortable doing so. For nontechnical teams, the secret is not more features or fancier models. It is about listening, simplifying, and putting people first every step of the way. When AI becomes a tool anyone can trust, the real transformation begins.
References: