How NEXT STEP AI Automates Businesses with AI

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Many companies today have a heterogeneous collection of data, systems, and processes. Their data is scattered across dozens of apps, their processes are stitched together by “the way we’ve always done it,” and their systems rarely talk to each other. In many cases, it’s organized chaos.

Now imagine taking that chaotic system and plugging in the most powerful technology on the planet: artificial intelligence. What do you think will happen? It will fail. And it will fail miserably.

And you don’t have to take our word for it. A recent study by MIT found that 95% of generative AI pilots at companies are failing. That’s right: the vast majority of businesses trying to implement AI are getting zero value. Not because AI is useless, but because they’re approaching it all wrong.

Why 95% of AI Projects Fail

Most companies aren’t doing the necessary exploratory work to figure out where AI can actually deliver value for them. Instead, they’re:

• Copying what they see on YouTube,

• Borrowing half-baked ideas from competitors, or

• Trying to force AI into areas where it doesn’t belong.

The 5% of companies that are succeeding take a very different approach. They start from scratch, look holistically at their operations, and identify what we call “quick wins” - the areas where AI can deliver immediate ROI.

The reason so many fail is simple: they’re chasing what their neighbors are doing, instead of spotting the opportunities right in front of them.

The NEXT STEP AI Process

Our mission is to gain an in-depth understanding of your business. That’s how we find the AI opportunities that others miss. Here’s how we do it:

1. Deep-Dive Interviews

We start with people, not technology. We conduct interviews with everyone from department heads to frontline staff, i.e. the people in the trenches creating value every day. We create personalized interview guides, adapting our questions as we learn more.

2. Process Mapping

Next, we translate those conversations into visual process maps. Most companies have SOPs that are outdated and collecting dust on Google Drive. Our process maps give leaders, often for the first time, a clear and objective picture of how their business actually operates day-to-day.

3. Use Case Identification

With the map in hand, we identify bottlenecks: manual data entry, repetitive reporting, endless document creation. Using both our expertise and our internal AI solutions database, we match the right AI tools to the right problems. It’s not just about knowing AI - it’s about knowing how to apply it in ways that actually move the needle for a business.

4. Opportunity Grading

Not all opportunities are equal. That’s why we use an opportunity matrix:

• Quick Wins: Low effort, high impact. These deliver ROI right away.

• Gold Nuggets: High impact, higher effort. These are the long-term bets that create real competitive advantage.

We don’t do this in isolation. We run validation interviews with both employees and leadership. Employees ensure the problems are real and adoption will happen. Leadership ensures alignment with strategic goals and budget approval.

The outcome is an AI strategy roadmap - a master plan that blends immediate wins with game-changing long-term initiatives.

From Strategy to ROI

Once the roadmap is approved, we move into development. And here’s our golden rule: we always start with the quick wins.

Why? Because a six-month, multimillion-dollar moonshot is a recipe for losing trust and momentum. Instead, we first target projects that are:

• high impact,

• low complexity, and

• capable of proving ROI fast.

This is how we ensure clients see tangible value from the very first project.

And here’s the surprising truth: the biggest ROI often comes from the most boring problems. Think about:

• endless manual data entry,

• soul-crushing report writing,

• or the constant “let me look that up for you” tasks.

AI can solve these with simple but powerful solutions - voice agents, transcription tools, or internal document search agents. These systems may cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to six digit figures, but they often return much higher savings.

The Competitive Advantage

If you follow a structured process, identify the quick wins, and validate them properly, you’ll join the 5% who are seeing ROI - and leave your competition in the dust.

At NEXT STEP AI, we’re not just implementing tools. We’re creating tailored strategies that turn chaos into clarity, and clarity into growth.

Ready to be in the 5%? Contact us and let’s start building your AI roadmap today.

Note: This article was created with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and clarity.