The functionalities of digital adoption platforms (DAPs) and AI Assistants often intersect, creating a challenge for organizations in deciding which tool best suits their needs. As CIOs responsible for digital workplace applications strive to optimize their application strategies, understanding the differences in functionality, reliability, and timing between these two approaches becomes critical.
The question remains, how can these CIOs decide whether AI assistants and/or DAPs are right for their organization’s needs?
To determine which of the two are suitable, it is crucial to examine the emerging capabilities of DAP AI assistants and their potential integration with platforms.
Differences Between AI Assistants and DAPs
Today, AI assistants cannot replace the functionality found in DAPs. When AI assistants first surfaced, many in the industry asked if a DAP would still be needed as it seemed like AI assistants could replace DAP. Currently, AI assistants lack the critical capability of providing cross-application and in-application guidance that DAPs offer.
DAPs create prescriptive workflows that guide users through each step of a business process within the context of their role, within and across applications.
These workflows are built by capturing elements on a page, which can be enhanced with features like hover help or call-outs, and can be sequenced or branched to connect across applications.
The ability to track user progress and identify areas of struggle through vendor-supplied analytics enables organizations to enhance the digital employee experience, boost proficiency, and increase efficiency, leading to improved productivity and satisfaction while reducing digital friction.
CIOs should start by exploring the organization’s specific feature requirements in relation to these solutions, and consider the time frame of their availability to decide whether to adopt one or a combination of both tools.
When to Use AI Assistants
It is still very early days for AI assistants, used for various GenAI-focused business purposes.
Many kinds of AI, such as predictive and prescriptive recommendations, have been available and in use for some time.
AI assistants leverage AI to automate and enhance business processes, facilitate collaboration, and provide actionable insights by integrating with enterprise systems and data sources, while ensuring security and compliance. By strategically deploying and training teams on these technologies, application leaders can ensure that their organizations are well-equipped to navigate the complexities of digital transformation
When to Use DAPs
It should be noted that the hype around AI assistants leading to expectations that AI assistants can replace a DAP exceeds reality.
Leaders should evaluate the ability of a DAP to integrate with third-party AI assistants, as this can significantly enhance efficiency. Assessing the latest DAP AI assistant capabilities can also reveal opportunities for improved automation and more effective employee task completion, guiding leaders’ decision-making process.
According to recent surveys, 56% of employees reported proficiency in the digital technology required for their work.
However, this confidence drops when employees struggle to find information or miss updates, with proficiency perceptions decreasing by 4% and 10%, respectively.
DAPs address these challenges by eliminating the need to search for information and minimizing the risk of missing updates through their guidance features. While AI assistants can retrieve information, they lack the capability to provide comprehensive task guidance. Some AI assistants are beginning to explore process guidance, such as summarizing meetings and drafting follow-up emails, but these features are still emerging.
DAPs have advanced by developing their own AI assistants that integrate guidance features with process automation and GenAI, including conversational user interfaces.
Additionally, some DAPs can integrate with third-party AI assistants, enhancing their functionality. These advancements have only become available in the past year.
The Wrap
It’s important to recognize that choosing between a DAP and an AI assistant is not always an either-or decision. Depending on the specific application or cross-application process, one solution may be more suitable than the other.
In-application assistants excel at providing information on process creation and usage within a specific application, while DAPs ensure adherence to corporate processes across the board.
As organizations continue to navigate the complexities of digital transformation, the decision between DAPs and AI Assistants should be guided by a thorough understanding of each tool’s unique strengths and capabilities.
