Updated on December 6, 2022

Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence can help boost your business’s productivity. Find out why and what financial assistance is available.

A few years ago, the digital transformation known as 4.0 mainly promised productivity gains for organizations that embarked on such projects.

Since then, the ecosystem comprising technology solution providers and entities that embrace the concept has matured and there is no doubt that the last few years have shaken up many predictions and results.

Real-life cases all around

At this point, it’s almost certain that you know of an organization that has already taken the first step in a digital and technological transformation. Many organizations from multiple industries have begun their shift by advancing their existing technological infrastructures.

To accomplish this, they have undertaken projects supported by enterprise resource planning, production management software, and automation service provider software suites as the initial source of information. This information has been leveraged by coupling existing systems with technologies such as computer vision, advanced robotics and decision support or preventive maintenance systems powered by artificial intelligence.

When evaluating these projects, the first question is “Can we afford it?” In 2022, the answer should be “Can we afford not to?”

Productivity remains an important goal, but the growing workforce issues are becoming a consideration that may sway your decision. Are there solutions that can fill the staffing gap or make your company technologically attractive to the candidates you are looking for?

SR&ED tax incentives to take you farther

The other issue that companies need to consider before moving forward with their digital transformation is how to tie in the new solutions with their existing systems.

Some innovative or larger-scale projects may come up against difficulties, such as having to deal with technologies that are not at the same level of maturity, maintaining legacy systems or integrating components into the environment that were intended for a completely different field.

This can lead to technological challenges. However, it is precisely because of such situations that there are programs designed to share the financial risks and help you overcome these obstacles, such as the SR&ED tax credit program.

Maximizing financial support and strategically planning each step in order to achieve your strategic, financial, operational and human objectives therefore becomes a necessity.

Did you know?

Various measures have been put in place to help you go digital, but the scientific research and experimental development investment tax credits that are available are still the most generous financial assistance in the country. In some cases, the combination of credits (Canada and Québec) can total nearly 70% of the expenses.

Don’t hesitate to call on our team specializing in SR&ED and technology innovation tax incentives for support in your digital and technology transformation initiatives.

With the digital shift, now more than ever, clients are in the driver’s seat. In order to evolve with their needs, a business must be able to innovate.

Clients can access an almost limitless product and service offering, with fierce competition leading to lower prices. The ever-changing business landscape and innumerable uncertainties underscore the need for businesses of all sizes to position themselves to ensure their longevity and development.

• Do you find that your value proposal isn’t sufficiently distinctive for you to stand out from the competition?
• Do you feel that your customers’ expectations have changed in recent years and they want to do business differently?
• Does your business no longer bring in enough income to meet your growth needs?
• Is technology transforming how your industry does things?

If the answer to any of these questions is “yes”, it’s time for your business to take a close look at its business model to stay competitive.

Adapt or die: How your business model can impact your growth

The fast pace of technological innovations forces businesses to position themselves to deal with the changes, which may have significant short- or medium-term impacts on their industry. It’s clear that the key to success today is no longer a guarantee of success tomorrow. Businesses increasingly need to question their business model.

An Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) study indicates that 54% of entrepreneurs consider innovation through new business models rather than new products or services as the way to gain a competitive advantage in the future. Why? Because it’s more difficult for competitors to imitate an entire innovation system than just a product or process.

It’s obvious that business sectors are transforming their business models. Examples abound:

• Airbnb in the hotel industry;
• Spotify in the music industry;
• Alibaba in distribution;
• PayPal with financial transactions, etc.

Even more traditional industries, such as professional services, must review their business models, as we have seen with Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton. The firm recently deployed its e-accounting platform Operiō to meet the needs of its new-generation clientele.

Competition may not necessarily be found where it was expected in the past. The intermediaries have changed, bringing new opportunities to reach customers. You have to ask yourself: how can your business model help you maintain or even find new sources of income in a constantly changing marketplace?

Changing your business model

Let’s start by defining a business model. There are various definitions, but most agree that it describes how a business will create, deliver and capture added value for its customer base and generate income.

The first question to ask is how you can create value for your customers and then, how you can organize your business to deliver that value, whether it’s through your business processes, resources, value chain, business partners, etc. There are multiple possibilities for business model innovation: expanding your service offering with new upstream or downstream activities, adding a complementary product to your offering, creating value to ensure loyalty, etc.

A number of factors must be considered for a successful, innovative transformation of your business model.

Know your customer
Business model innovation is based, first and foremost, on your knowledge of your customers, their needs, their expectations and, especially, the value they are looking for in a product or service like yours.

Your model should not be based on what you think. You may have a biased view because of your industry perceptions or history. Take the time to consult your customers to get an accurate and up-to-date picture. Plan and conduct customer surveys or hold discussion groups.

Ensure strategic monitoring
New ideas are not the only source for new business models, you can often draw inspiration from models in other industries that could be applied to yours.

Take the time to analyze similar sectors to understand business model best practices and validate their relevance for your business. Consider benchmarking your market to identify the most appropriate business models for your business, or analyze your competition to evaluate positioning opportunities or business models that could set you apart.

Work in synergy
A new business model has repercussions throughout your business’s ecosystem. All functions (human resources, operations, marketing, finance, etc.) will be called upon and will have to evolve at various levels to ensure the new model’s value creation.

Business model innovation requires working with multidisciplinary teams, representing all of the business’s stakeholders. Consider organizing brainstorming workshops led by experts to build consensus. This will foster a common vision of the project and define individual roles in the initiative.

Manage change appropriately
As mentioned, implementing a new business model can lead to extensive changes due to the numerous operational projects to be implemented (IT, artificial intelligence, process optimization, etc.). It’s important to be committed and to manage the change to ensure employee, customer and business partner buy-in. The operational projects must be properly structured in order to implement them efficiently.

Are You Ready to Innovate? Our Experts Can Help!

A business model innovation initiative must be supported by knowledgeable, experienced experts who can help you undertake a strategic reflection of your business’s fundamental makeup to offer a distinctive value proposal that provides a unique and durable competitive edge … until the next transformation!

Our business strategy and organizational performance teams can help you structure your transformation project and provide support to properly manage the change underlying the new business model.

Contact us!

Did you know?

There are scientific research and experimental development investment tax credits available. The scope of these programs may have been curtailed in recent budgets, but they are still one of the most generous sources of financial assistance in the country. In some cases, combined Canada/Quebec credits can be as much as 70% of expenses.

Technological development makes it possible to collect a wide range of useful data. Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), businesses can capitalize on a focussed and relevant analysis of this information.

The answer to tangible and complex business issues can be found in corporate data. Analytical solutions to problems are a means of optimizing both finances and productivity.

Improved productivity

The productivity of onsite resources can be increased by including algorithms in the decision-making processes. In the manufacturing sector, for example, algorithms make the advanced detection of breakdowns in the production chain possible or can be used for the automated sorting of compliant products.

These solutions rely on data provided by industrial sensors that are currently in place or by low-cost devices, such as cameras or specific sensors that can be installed after the fact. Other applications, such as predictive maintenance, make it possible to boost the efficiency of physical and financial resources used in a manufacturing environment.

Clients in the financial and professional services sectors use algorithms to automate low added-value processes. For example, character recognition can be used to automate data entry.

Algorithmic analyses of financial market results, news and annual reports make it possible for a portfolio management team to prioritize its research work. In the logistics and distribution sector, analysing changes in inventory levels and client demands helps organizations use their storage space more efficiently to reduce inventory shortages and customer dissatisfaction.

Income growth

The data produced can be used to develop solutions that assist departments making strategic and tactical decisions to generate new income. Improved knowledge about clients and their behaviour can be used, for example, to develop initiatives to get their attention and thus meet their needs.

Our AI expertise is leveraged by manufacturing entities to improve their knowledge of clients and detect business opportunities by analyzing past activities and the history of interactions with clients. Analytics are then used to pinpoint where irritants are generated in the client experience or to detect opportunities for cross-sales or supplementary services.

Additionally, thanks to transaction histories and external data cross-checking, clients can be targeted individually during their life cycle. Predictive models can then be used to increase the conversion rate for acquisitions and cross-sales, foster client engagement and reduce attrition rates.

Depending on the available data, these models will identify clients who require special attention. If you know which clients have a high risk of leaving the organizations in the coming weeks, what could be better than preparing a retention offer and acting before they make their final decision?

With this income protection initiative, supported by the analytical component, retention efforts can be invested in the most strategic areas. Similarly, predictive models for product and service cross-sales can be developed to target clients with a strong propensity to convert and thus increase revenues.

Improved client experience

AI can also be applied to improve the client experience. In recent years, the digitized client relationship has significantly changed client expectations in terms of service time, quality and accessibility. Clients want products and services more quickly, they want businesses to be attentive to their needs at all times and they want quality at a lower cost.

In the manufacturing sector, an optimized production line can then reduce production times by anticipating equipment or resource issues, reduce client wait times by anticipating demand and optimizing procurement and improve quality by automating parts of the quality assurance process and controlling input factors. Naturally, similar applications can be implemented in other industries.

AI allows a business to exploit the quantity of data it generates in order to optimize and meet specific business needs. Although it can be used in various situations, it’s important to use it, first and foremost, to support the entity’s mission and bottom line, that is, increase revenues, reduce costs and improve the client experience. Integrating it into a business strategy calls for vigilance.

Our artificial intelligence experts can help!

Did you know?

There are scientific research and experimental development investment tax credits available. The scope of these programs may have been curtailed in recent budgets, but they are still one of the most generous sources of financial assistance in the country. In some cases, combined Canada/Quebec credits can be as much as 70% of expenses.