Expert: AI Is Expected to Boost Sales for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

According to industry expert Thuy-Ngan Trinh, small and medium-sized companies should view artificial intelligence primarily as a driver of growth and not merely as a means of cutting costs. “AI is always associated with productivity gains. Above all, however, it provides significantly greater leverage for revenue,” the co-managing director of the consulting firm A11 told the German Press Agency ahead of the “Brains on Silicon” conference in Dresden.

Those who use new technologies merely to cut expenses or reduce staff will see their business volume stagnate. “If you really want to grow, you have to achieve more impact with your existing team,” Trinh emphasized. For example, if employees are relieved of time-consuming office and documentation tasks, there is more room for direct customer support and the development of new offerings. In addition, new products could be brought to market in significantly less time.

A Clean Slate Instead of Stopgap Measures

Trinh advocates that traditional companies fundamentally rethink their own business models. Often, companies resort to half-hearted measures by hiring individual digital officers or establishing outsourced subsidiaries. It is more successful to completely rethink the company from scratch—and to set up processes from the very beginning so that they are largely self-sustaining and automated.

The Biggest Obstacle Is a Lack of Determination

Trinh does not see technical barriers or fears as the biggest hurdle to the breakthrough of future technologies in small and medium-sized businesses, but rather the hesitation of top management. “What you need is courage and just getting started,” she said. The often-cited labor shortage is not an obstacle here, but rather the very reason to delegate routine tasks to intelligent software.

Furthermore, companies do not need to use expensive, high-end models from overseas to get started. For the majority of operational workflows, simpler, freely accessible models are already sufficient. These also offer the advantage that sensitive company data remains on the company’s own in-house computers and does not flow unchecked abroad.

Conference Spotlights High-Tech Hub

Trinh will speak on Monday at the “Brains on Silicon” conference in Dresden. In recent years, Saxony’s capital has developed into a leading European center for microelectronics thanks to major new facilities and plant expansions in the semiconductor industry. In addition to her entrepreneurial activities, Trinh has also founded an interest group for small and medium-sized businesses that aims to promote the practical application of modern technologies in traditional industries.