The True Value of AI: What IKEA Teaches Us and How to Replicate It with NaiOS
In the current landscape of digital transformation, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become the main topic of conversation in boardrooms around the world. However, the vast majority of companies make a fundamental mistake in their approach: they view AI exclusively as a tool to reduce costs and automate repetitive tasks.
The core idea that is redefining modern business success is that the true value of artificial intelligence does not always lie in what it automates, but in the business opportunities it reveals.
To illustrate this paradigm shift, there is no better example than IKEA's recent success story. The Swedish multinational has shown the world how a well-executed AI strategy can transform a cost center into a multimillion-dollar sales engine. And most importantly: this is not a strategy exclusive to global giants. Any company can replicate this model, especially if it has the right platform and strategic support, such as the one offered by NaiOS.
The IKEA case: Automation as a starting point
In 2021, IKEA decided to take a step forward in its digitalization by implementing an AI-powered chatbot called Billie. The initial goal was clear and conventional: to respond to customers' routine inquiries. Questions about product availability, store hours, return policies, or the status of delivery orders were now handled by this new tool.
The results of this first phase, what we might call "looking inside the AI," were a resounding success in terms of operational efficiency. Between 2021 and 2023, Billie handled the impressive figure of 3.2 million customer interactions. The chatbot was able to autonomously resolve nearly 47% of the inquiries received.
The financial result of this automation? A direct saving of 13 million euros for the company.
The corporate dilemma: Cut staff or reinvent value?
With savings of 13 million euros and an AI resolving nearly half of the inquiries, the dilemma for IKEA's management seemed obvious. If technology could do much of the heavy lifting, the 8,500 employees who made up its global call center network could become dispensable. The easy route, and the one many companies would have taken, would have been to reduce staff to maximize the profit margin in the short term.
But IKEA did not opt for layoffs. Instead of being blinded by immediate savings, the executives decided to analyze the data that the AI was providing them. They asked themselves a crucial question: What exactly can AI not solve?
By analyzing the 53% of queries that Billie couldn't handle, they discovered a fascinating pattern. Customers weren't just reaching out for basic or transactional information. Many of them needed a deep and empathetic level of human advice. They wanted to know if a specific sofa would fit well with the lighting in their living room, how to optimize space in a small apartment, or how to combine textures and colors to design a cozy space.
Looking beyond AI: The €1.3 billion discovery
This finding was the turning point. IKEA decided to retrain those thousands of customer service workers, freed from repetitive tasks thanks to AI, into remote interior design advisors.
Through video calls and personalized phone support, these employees began offering a value-added service that AI couldn't replicate: creativity, empathy, and expert human advice.
What had historically been a cost center (the call center) transformed overnight into a powerful direct sales channel. The results were stratospheric. In its first full year, this new remote advisory service generated €1.3 billion in revenue, which represented 3.3% of the total turnover of the Ingka Group (IKEA's parent company). Moreover, the company is so optimistic about this model that it aims for it to represent 10% of its global sales by the year 2028.
The lesson of the two approaches
This success story leaves us with a vital comparison of the two ways of conceiving Artificial Intelligence in business:
- Looking inside AI: This means measuring success based solely on efficiency metrics. How many tasks have been automated? How many costs have been reduced? How many man-hours have been saved? In IKEA's case, this approach translated into €13 million.
- Looking beyond AI: This means observing the entire ecosystem. What new human, commercial, or strategic needs emerge when you automate the base of the work? What can your employees do now that they have free time? At IKEA, this vision generated €1.3 billion, that is, a return one hundred times greater.
The great lesson is undeniable: AI is not just for replacing tasks; its greatest potential lies in its capacity to discover new functions, services, and business models.
How your company can replicate this success with NaiOS
IKEA's story is inspiring, but many companies wonder: "How can we achieve this if we don't have the resources of a multinational?". The answer lies in choosing the right technology partner.
This is where NaiOS comes into play.
NaiOS is not just another software tool or a generic chatbot. It is the ideal platform for AI-driven digital transformation because it deeply understands the philosophy of "looking outside of AI." NaiOS provides the cutting-edge technology needed to automate your routine processes (the equivalent of saving your own "13 million"), but it goes much further.
The differentiating factor: Real Support
The biggest obstacle for companies implementing AI is not the technology itself, but the strategy. NaiOS stands out in the market because it includes real and human support.
The NaiOS team of experts works hand-in-hand with your company to:
- Audit your current processes: Identify which repetitive tasks should be automated immediately to free up time and resources.
- Analyze residual data: Just as IKEA discovered the need for interior design, NaiOS helps you analyze your customer interactions to discover what high-value services they are demanding without you realizing it.
- Retrain and relocate talent: We advise you on how to empower your human team, providing them with AI tools (copilots) so they transition from task managers to revenue generators.
- Continuous evolution: AI is not a one-time project. With NaiOS support, your company will constantly iterate and improve, adapting to new market opportunities.
With NaiOS, you are not buying software to fire employees; you are investing in a comprehensive platform to discover your next big business line.
Conclusion
Operational efficiency is just the tip of the Artificial Intelligence iceberg. If your company only uses AI to save costs, it is leaving 99% of the value on the table. The future belongs to organizations that use automation to unlock human potential and discover new business opportunities.
Don't settle for just efficiency. Ask yourself today: "What opportunity is AI showing that we didn't see before?". And remember that, on this journey toward innovation, having a comprehensive platform and expert support like NaiOS is the guarantee to transform your cost centers into your greatest sources of revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about AI Implementation in Companies
What is the true value of implementing AI in a company?
Although most companies implement AI to reduce costs and automate repetitive tasks, the true value lies in the business opportunities revealed by freeing up human talent's time. AI allows for discovering new customer needs and creating new high-value services or business models.
Will AI replace customer service workers?
Not necessarily. As the IKEA case demonstrates, AI takes over transactional and repetitive inquiries. This allows customer service workers to evolve into specialized advisor roles, offering an empathetic and complex service that AI cannot replicate, thus bringing much more value to the company.
What does the concept of "looking outside of AI" mean?
"Looking outside of AI" is a strategic approach that consists of not focusing solely on the tool's efficiency metrics (how much it saves), but on observing the global impact on the business. It involves analyzing what new customer demands are uncovered and how human talent can be redeployed to meet those needs and generate new revenue.
Why is NaiOS different from other Artificial Intelligence platforms?
NaiOS stands out because it is not limited to delivering an automation tool. It is a comprehensive platform that includes real support. This means that human experts guide your company throughout the entire process, helping you interpret data, redefine processes, and discover new business opportunities, ensuring that AI generates a real impact on your bottom line.
