5.6million UK SMEs - listen up and automate!

This week on AIFightsBack, Steph Locke, CEO of Nightingale HQ, talked about the new GoSmarter automation toolbox, funded by Innovate UK and free for SMEs to use.

Steph didn't waste any time on fluff before addressing an estimated 5.6million SMEs across the UK who, along with her own startup, have been significantly disrupted by COVID-19. Steph talked about how businesses have felt the impact of changing work practices, business models, and a much greater emphasis on digital capabilities. This has made AI and automation more important than ever before.

Why SMEs need to automate

GoSmarter was born out of a need to automate real things that matter to organisations that need it most. As a self-confessed Proud Automator, Steph Locke already uses many of these tools across her own business; including automatic booking systems, invoice processing, and FAQ Chatbots. She wants to share this value with as many SMEs as possible, but it's challenging because many small businesses make the mistake of thinking that AI or automation is not for them. This is simply not true!

Recording

Slides

The GoSmarter project from Stephanie Locke

Automation - easier, cheaper, and quicker

Automation is easier, cheaper, quicker, and more important now than ever before. Steph detailed the six GoSmarter tools that businesses can choose from, and shared some stats as to why it makes business sense to automate:

• 80% of repetitive tasks can be automated - use Process Automation tool
• 50% of the world now uses social media - use Social Media Listening tool
• 63% of sales is wasted on non-selling time - use Supercharge Sales tool
• 64% of users expect 24-hour service - use FAQ Chatbots tool
• 3.6% of manually processed invoices contain human error - use Invoice Processor tool.

The range of tools was informed by the user research that the team at GoSmarter undertook over the last few weeks. It highlighted what SMEs want to automate, and how they want to learn about integrating these tools. The survey also gave insights into how technology has helped businesses during the pandemic, with a much greater need for smart automation across all areas.

GoSmarter contains six AI-powered tools

Process Automation Tool

Automate repeatable business tasks at a fraction of the cost.

Tasks such as inventory control, stocktaking for shops, or online booking tools for bars and restaurants can be easily automated. This tool is based on Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology, which is fast becoming something businesses of all sizes can make great use of.

Social Listening Tool

Monitor your brand across all social media channels, and better engage with your audience.

You can measure your brand impact by learning from online conversations and customer interactions. You will be able to monitor positive and negative feelings around your brand and respond more effectively.

Supercharge Sales Tool

Make sense of customer data, boost sales leads and get actionable insights for your sales team.

This tool allows you to improve predictions, recommendations, and decisions in the sales pipeline. It identifies patterns based on past data and makes recommendations as to which deals to go after, and which to drop, based on likely conversions.

FAQ Chatbot Tool

Now even a small business can assist their customers around the clock!

The FAQ Chatbot tool gives the power to customers to answer common queries for themselves quickly and easily. It also frees up time spent on answering the same questions, so you can focus on more complex enquiries. Your chatbot can be set up in minutes, and you can see the time and cost saving immediately.

Productive Meetings Tool

Automatically generate text and audio recordings, so you can keep more accurate and searchable records.

Handy for anyone who could not attend the meeting, this technology also support accessibility; helping participants with visual or hearing impairments.

Invoice Processor Tool

Automate the process of gathering invoices from different sources, and keep your accounts up to date.

This is your opportunity to take back control of processing invoices with automatic flows that increase accuracy and save time.

How do I sign up?

To access the tools you just need to sign up to our app where you will be able to access the GoSmarter tools as they are released. Included in our offer will not just be the free and simple setup of these tools, but also great training and a network of experts. This will ensure you can manage these tools yourself or outsource when you need it.

For many, this is the start of their smart automation journey, and Steph Locke & team are very proud to be helping people get started.

Join the GoSmarter Supporters network

The GoSmarter toolbox can make a huge impact on the 5.6million businesses impacted by COVID-19, and to help those businesses hear about how GoSmarter can help, we're looking for groups to join our Supporters network. Supporters can help us spread the word through sharing content, hosting informative webinars, or including us in value-add bundles for members.

If you would like to join our Supporters network, please get in touch.