If you’ve interacted with digital entities way more than real humans in the past few weeks, you are not alone. In this period of social distancing, many are turning to automated services, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and eCommerce in a bid to avoid human contact and the virus to fulfil their daily needs. Forgetting how to interact with humans has been a normal side effect. The importance of automation, AI and eCommerce amidst COVID-19 has grown to a large extent by allowing people to shop online while social distancing, such that many would be hard-pressed to live without it. Innovation in the time of COVID-19 is also important to keep up in these times.
Let’s discover whether eCommerce, automation and AI will make the Terminator movies one step closer to reality, or how it can help indirectly minimise the spread of COVID-19.
Automation
In a period where many companies are looking at productivity declines, digitisation is the way to go to keep themselves relevant. Automating systems and processes helps make it less reliant on labour and less prone to human error. We are currently in the midst of creating automated systems for a few clients through the Enterprise Development Grant so drop us a message if you want to know more!
For example, Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority automation plans started in 2015 and they have started testing their automated systems like remote control cranes to adjust container stacks and algorithms to sort out containers efficiently.
At I Concept, we focus on digital solutions and leverage on technology to create systems and determine algorithms to help you function from behind the scenes. Chatbots are part of automation and also tipped to be the next big eCommerce tool, we’ll cover more of that in the next section!
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
In eCommerce, AI has been used in instances like chatbots or even a sidebar of recommended products based on what you’ve bought from an eCommerce store. Predictive AI has become so much more accurate when it comes to understanding your shopping habits and using your browsing history to predict what you’d like to buy next.
How is AI changing sales you might ask? Well, price optimisation can also be achieved through AI. According to Harvard Business Review, “Today, an AI algorithm could tell you what the ideal discount rate should be for a proposal to ensure that you’re most likely to win the deal by looking at specific features of each past deal that was won or lost.”
AI can also help keep your business moving when your human workers can’t be there. Now that’s a clear advantage over labour-centric business during this crisis when workers have to stay home.
Apart from eCommerce, Singaporean healthcare facilities have been using AI to help fight the COVID-19 outbreak. National University Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital doctors and front-line healthcare workers have been using a chatbot app by Singapore AI start-up – Bot MD to keep themselves updated with updates and proper COVID-related procedures. We all need whatever help we can get.
eCommerce
eCommerce sites and platforms have seen a boom in business ever since measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 have shuttered many brick and mortar stores. eCommerce brings the convenience of shopping right to your doorstep, how convenient is that during a pandemic like this? Even the Singaporean government is providing help for SME retailers to start selling online. Here are a few key points to help SMEs survive and sustain as well. Without a doubt, eCommerce is one way to future-proof and crisis-proof your digital infrastructure.
With COVID-19 not looking to ease up anytime soon, starting to future-proof and crisis-proof is a great idea. Have a think and see where that ends up, drop us a message then!
