Artificial intelligence opens up new opportunities and benefits for companies automating their processes—areas where this was previously impossible. According to SAIO specialists, however, the first step toward success is having large resources of structured and digital data. These observations are consistent with the findings of the Polish edition of PwC’s 28th CEO Survey, “The Time of Necessary Transformations,” which notes that the low level of AI adoption in Poland is mainly due to the lack of a coherent data management strategy, limiting the effectiveness of implementations. According to PwC, companies that invest in data governance and digital technology integration achieve better results in efficiency and innovation. At the same time, PwC points out that as many as 42% of CEOs in Poland expect AI to have a positive impact on profitability growth.

As SAIO experts note, companies choose to use artificial intelligence primarily for pragmatic reasons: they want to optimize costs, reduce errors, increase operational scalability, and limit time-consuming manual work. On one hand, business is full of ideas for automation, but on the other hand, there are still many barriers. The most frequently cited include long implementation times, poorly defined processes, lack of prepared and structured data, unclear goals, and the absence of an automation strategy (“business often doesn’t know what it wants to achieve”). In the case of AI, there is also a lack of understanding of how the technology works and the time needed to adapt it to the specifics of the company or its processes.

“In Poland and worldwide, the common denominator today is the pursuit of usability, security, and quick return on investment. To achieve this, companies must start by asking: what is worth automating—and only then act. In this context, Poland still has a lot of work to do in educating businesses about the opportunities AI offers and in setting digitalization-related business goals. This is homework for the entire industry,” says Przemysław Lewicki, CEO of SAIO.

According to SAIO’s observations, the industries currently making the most efficient use of AI are:

• marketing,
• finance and insurance,
• manufacturing and e-commerce,
• data-based services such as accounting or document handling.

From tests to tangible benefits

SAIO experts stress that the greatest impact comes from implementations that address real business needs. Particularly promising is the combination of AI with process automation (RPA), i.e. creating digital “robots” that perform repetitive tasks for people, according to defined rules and based on data.

“Thanks to automation, teams no longer have to waste time manually retyping data or analyzing simple tickets. This allows them to focus on more important tasks and, above all, respond faster to customer needs,” says Przemysław Lewicki, CEO of SAIO.

Examples of AI implementations in practice – selected market scenarios

SAIO experts have prepared several examples showing how AI combined with business process automation is supporting companies, including in Poland.

1. Customer service assistant in a contact center

AI is used to support customer service teams. Generative AI analyzes tickets, identifies their topics, and automatically prepares responses. Customers receive complete answers faster, and employees can focus on more complex cases.

2. Creating product content for e-commerce channels

An e-commerce company has implemented generative AI to create product descriptions based on technical data and photos. Automating this process significantly sped up the introduction of new products into the store and improved the consistency of the content.

3. Intelligent Document Processing (IDP)

AI has enabled automatic recognition and processing of documents such as contracts, forms, or transport documents. The data flows directly into company systems, can be automatically processed, and the extracted information can be analyzed further. Employees focus on drawing conclusions and making decisions.

4. Sales and CRM assistant

A trading company uses a CRM system and AI to support sales teams in planning activities and client relations. AI suggests daily which type of contact and with which customer should be made, greatly improving efficiency and prioritization. Sales staff no longer need to review all records and can devote more time to customer service.

SMEs are increasingly investing in automation—and doing it “smart”

In the SME sector, demand for automation is growing, matching the scale of implementations seen in large enterprises and corporations. These initiatives most often focus on accounting and finance, especially where they can be combined with existing ERP systems and automatic document processing (OCR). Entrepreneurs are increasingly turning to AI in front-office departments, while expecting quick and measurable results (rapid ROI). Regulations such as KSeF or ESG requirements are also driving greater interest. Many companies are attempting to build skills internally and implement automation with their own resources, with investments often financed from company funds. Automation is also becoming a tool for organizing and stabilizing internal processes, increasing resilience to staff turnover, and helping to retain key talent.

According to international research firm Everest Group, the largest number of generative AI implementations worldwide currently concern customer service—cited by as many as 72% of companies. Other areas include IT operations (30%), marketing and sales departments (18%), as well as finance, procurement, supply chain, and HR, where 12% of companies report using AI. These figures show that AI is no longer just the domain of tech experiments, but a real tool supporting everyday efficiency across different departments of an organization.

Work is changing, and people are gaining new roles

The use of AI and automation does not mean staff reductions but rather a shift in skills. Employees take on new roles: managing systems, ensuring data quality, supporting implementations, and overseeing automated processes.

According to PwC’s report, only 15% of Polish business leaders have high confidence in AI, and just 34% integrate it into company processes—much lower than the global average. Meanwhile, companies that take a bolder approach to this change are gaining an advantage and coping better with market challenges.