AI makes a better salesperson than a network engineer (Reality Check)

In the relatively rare instances that artificial intelligence is already part of a telecommunications network, it is generally there to optimize connectivity and the network itself. However, when deployed correctly an AI salesbot can act as a salesperson, driving sales and increased profitability across the network.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies have a lot of potential related to network performance optimization, predictive performance and configurations of data routing. When done right, advanced analytics on the network can help operators optimize the network more efficiently, use resources more effectively and eventually provide a better overall experience for subscribers.

So should we be surprised that a recent study found that half of senior telecoms decision makers said that the return on investment (ROI) from AI has yet to be demonstrated?

The bigger question is whether we, as the telecoms industry, are looking at the potential of AI in the right light. We know the financial pressures of running an operator business. Spectrum is expensive, network upgrades are expensive and marketing in a competitive environment is expensive. So, it is no wonder the industry is facing constant pressure to use resources more efficiently to realize cost-efficiencies.

As an engineering-focused industry facing constant cost pressures, advanced analytics is a means to improve network technology in a cost-efficient way. But, step out of the standard thinking for just a moment – there is a much bigger picture. AI is an incredibly powerful tool. Why not harness the power of AI to build the business, rather than merely tweaking a network?

AI can be used to achieve smart commercial automation and widespread distribution of digital services. It is almost a cliché to say that operators have been sitting on top of a goldmine of data that has not been effectively monetized. The problem is that even with a great set of probes, analytics tools and dashboards, humans are still needed to do the heavy lifting to monetize the network.

An AI salesbot can act on all the monetizable customer events on the network and provide a commercial solution in real-time – at the blink of an eye. Far from it being sales support, i.e. product recommendations, it should be entirely transactional. 

Take the example of a prepaid customer that has run out of credit. Such a customer event will trigger a micro-analytics response on the network, leading to the real-time analysis of the customer’s purchase and payment history. The salesbot will then assess the risk and push a just-in-time offer to the customer – a credit card top-up or a financed data package for example. It will do so using the channel the customer responded best to historically, before processing the payment and providing the chosen digital service.

The algorithms should intelligently compute the right sale to push, perfectly aligned to the customer’s immediate needs. It is completely personalized to the individual and completely contextual. While that may not sound overwhelming in itself, imagine that happening millions of times a month on a mobile network – all in real time.

Several forward-looking operators have already deployed advanced analytics to automate commercial decision-making. Looking beyond digital services, mobile carriers in developing markets are increasingly offering financed handsets, enabling vetted customers to upgrade from a voice services-only feature phone to a smartphone with data-enabled product options.

The overall financial impact of AI salesbots has been dramatic, with an increase of several per cent to annual revenues.

AI has been unleashed to achieve things that humans literally cannot do on their own. And isn’t that the real point of the technology? When AI is used to enhance the customer experience in a way that drives profitability and growth, it can easily outshine even the most successful human salesperson within a business.

 The industry can become overly excited about the evolution of new technologies, especially AI. However, the TM Forum recently found that a lack of clear aligned vision and goals is the biggest barrier to digital transformation. Operators should ask themselves whether it’s worth devising and implementing digital initiatives such as AI if they are uncertain of the real purpose they should serve.