When incorporating AI into a digital strategy it is imperative to ensure that the technology is being leveraged to solve for suitable problems or exploit suitable opportunities that are tied to the business’ strategic objectives. Too often AI is being used for use cases that could otherwise be simply addressed using conventional technology. Having said that, hard ROI can still be achieved from AI in the form of: ✅ Time savings through automation ✅ Cost savings through optimising the workforce ✅ Revenue increase by personalising product and service offerings In addition to these hard returns, AI can provide a number of soft returns. They include: ✅ Better customer experience ✅ Improved staff engagement ✅ Improved business agility

O primeiro passo para a integração da IA à estratégia digital, passa pela definição da ambição, considerando quais serão os focos, por exemplo produtividade, experiência do cliente, nova oferta de produtos e outros. A partir desta definição, estabelecer indicadores junto aos stakeholders é uma prática para evidenciar o ROI. Como exemplo de indicadores, pode-se considerar velocidade e acurácia de um determinado processo que teve IA embarcada, a alavancagem dos índices de satisfação dos clientes, o comportamento do índice de satisfação dos colaboradores que passaram a ter ferramentas de IA para auxiliar suas tarefas, os desperdícios que foram evitados nos processos e o volume de dados que passaram a ser aproveitados a favor do negócio.

From practical experience on this subject, I suggest 7 actions: 1. Define clear objectives: Set tangible goals, such as increasing revenue, reducing costs or improving customer experience. 2. Choose measurable KPIs: Identify metrics such as retention, operational efficiency or conversion rate. 3. Run pilot projects: Conduct small-scale tests to validate the impact before full implementation. 4. Compare results: Compare performance before and after AI adoption. 5. Generate insights with data: Use analytics to show quantitative and qualitative gains. 6. Engage stakeholders: Present periodic reports focusing on benefits. 7. Continuously adjust: Reevaluate the strategy based on the results obtained.

Integrating AI into a digital strategy is an exciting step and difficult at times, but proving ROI is often the most crucial part of gaining stakeholder buy-in. Clear benchmarks and measurable outcomes are key. Start by defining specific business objectives for AI implementation—whether it's reducing operational costs, increasing sales, or enhancing customer engagement. Use pilot projects or proof-of-concept phases to collect data (for baseline/benchmark) on performance improvements. Metrics like revenue lift, time saved (efficiency), or customer satisfaction scores can provide tangible evidence of AI's value. Regularly sharing transparent, data-driven updates with stakeholders helps to maintain trust and alignment.

To measure AI’s value, start with a basic framework that connects your organization’s digital strategy to operational efficiency, cost reduction, and modernization goals. Simply put, use a tangible outcomes framework. Three examples for transaction banking are: 1. Efficiency Gains: Track reductions in manual processes, like payment reconciliations or liquidity forecasts, and quantify time saved per transaction. 2. Cost Impact: Measure AI-driven savings from fraud detection, optimized cash flows, or risk mitigation. 3. Modernization Metrics: Create a scorecard showing enhanced system performance, adoption rates, and client satisfaction improvements.

AI is an excellent lever to excel your operations to next level and achieve ROI , But instead of looking at it from Investment perspective lets see how can we achieve strong " Return on Intensions " . Intensions such as 1.Achieve sustainable business model. 2.Create lasting customer experience. 3.Drive employee excellence . And let the "Return on Investment" be the biproduct . Word of Caution... 1.Select AI wisely based on your need of business . 2.Ensure cybersecurity & privacy of the information. 3.Technology without culture is a waste. 4.Allow your employees to fail fast with it , Embrace the learning . Key note - " We have technology because of the business need, not because its the trend which need to be followed by everyone "

The key to proving AI's ROI lies in data. Start by setting clear KPIs that align with your business goals, then leverage AI to analyze, optimize, and drive measurable results. When stakeholders see the numbers backing the strategy, the value becomes undeniable.

I start by establishing clear goals and objectives that align with a key organizational KPI, ensuring everyone is on the same page. Before the project begins, I set up a tool to track the chosen metric and prepare a baseline report to share with all stakeholders. This report often includes a video explanation to provide context and begin shaping the narrative around the data. This approach helps everyone understand the numbers early on and builds transparency, so the team can share in the momentum—whether the project succeeds or faces challenges. Once the project is underway, we have regular progress updates & ensure we set a clear end date. At that point, we reflect on the outcomes, assess what we’ve achieved & decide on the next steps.

The three key strategies provided are all solid pillars for integrating AI into your digital strategy. In my experience where AI strategies often come unstuck is moving from standalone POCs to deploying at scale with tangible ROI (both hard and soft benefits). The key for proving ROI to stakeholders is to measure at the point of delivery with measurements that matter the most to the stakeholders you are engaging with. This requires a strong data foundation to enable both an efficient AI enabled capability to be developed & deployed and effective & accurate ROI measurement.