AI Boosts Productivity

We’re staring down the barrel of a productivity puzzle. Companies are flush with VC cash (sorta) and dumpin’ it into the newest digital bling, hopin’ for some magical, exponential output boost. The mantra is simple: digitize or die. From construction sites echoing with the drone whine to cleaning companies deploying robo-vacuums, everyone’s thirsty for that sweet, sweet efficiency juice. But hold up. Is it actually workin’? Folks are buyin’ the tech, installing the software, but the productivity needle ain’t exactly spinnin’ outta control. We’re talkin’ billions pumped in, but the output graph looks flatter than my post-tax season bank account. Some firms are spending, but the corresponding uptick in output is MIA – it’s like buying a super-powered graphics card and watchin’ YouTube on it. So what the heck is happening? Is this the productivity promise a bunch of baloney or are companies just implementing the tech wrong? Time’s ticking and our bosses are expecting bigger, better and faster and we need some real ROI now!

Tech Ain’t a Magic Wand, Bro

Alright, reality check time. Throwing tech at a problem without a strategy is like putting a turbo engine in a horse-drawn carriage. You might get some initial excitement, but ultimately, it’s a recipe for hilarious (and expensive) failure. The OG article pointed this out, the McKinsey report highlighting “creative destruction.” The issue isn’t simply how much they’re spending; it’s where and how they’re spending, like they’re throwing darts blindly at a board trying to hit the productivity bullseye when they’re drunk and blind folded. If a company has a business process and an outdated system, it’s like a recipe for disaster!

My fellow rate-wreckers, consider the construction industry. They’re drooling over Building Information Modeling (BIM), drones for surveying, and digital twins for project management. Ninety percent of Canadian construction leaders believe digital tools are essential for boosting productivity, and let’s be real, the industry needs all the help it can get. Construction has traditionally dragged its feet and resisted changes to workflows in general. But it’s not as simple as slapping a digital twin on a project and cracking open a cold one. There’s a whole culture shift at play, and that requires more than just buying the tools. Workers need to be trained. Entire workflows need to be redesigned. The project managers need coffee, stat, and maybe, just maybe, they’ll start seeing some of those sweet productivity gains they were promised. KPMG cited that investments in tech yield positive results.

And this ain’t a construction-exclusive problem. Think of the cleaning industry going nuts with robotic cleaners. Sure, those robots might seem like the answer to labor shortages and soaring costs, but they’re only as good as the strategy behind their deployment. You can’t just unleash a fleet of Roombas and expect your office to magically become spotless. Someone needs to map the cleaning routes, maintain the robots, and handle the inevitable spills that require more than a simple vacuum. It’s strategy over spending, folks. If the company’s needs aren’t correctly assessed or the robots malfunction, that’s more money out of our pockets that we could use towards necessities like food.

All About the Humans, Dude

The secret sauce to actually getting those productivity boosts lies in the humans! I know, I know, we’re all about the tech here, but listen up. Tech without the right talent is like a guitar without strings. Might look cool, but it ain’t makin’ any music. That’s where investing in tech-ready talent, to mobilize the entire workforce to embrace change.

This has got to change; all of the employees need to be trained in these new operations! Ivanti’s 2025 Technology at Work Report highlights how giving the employee freedom and control can safeguard productivity and security. If the companies make the workplace an improvement for all employees, this will lead into better productivity. It’s all connected to the human element.

Stop the One-Size-Fits-All Baloney

No one-size-fits-all approach here, bros! The old ways of thinking is that if workers all work together towards a common goal, their productivity rates will increase; but that’s just baloney. The original article briefly touched on this too. The most successful firms, the ones that are actually seeing a return on their tech investments, understand this, they understand that they need to tailor the approach that will best align with their workers. They aren’t just blindly implementing the latest AI gadget. They’re strategically selecting the tech that addresses their specific needs. That means understanding your workflow bottlenecks, listening to your employees’ challenges, and aligning productivity levers. This doesn’t mean just buying a robot and placing it near the workers so they feel like they need to increase production to keep their jobs. Understand the challenges that your employees face, and if tech can help them, and it most likely will, tailor the tech to them.

It’s simple, man. Stop chasing shiny object syndrome. Start thinking strategically about where your tech budget is going. Invest in your employees, not just in robots. Tailor your approach.