PP&A began by conducting two focus groups with the client’s cloud account managers and cloud architect teams. The primary objective was to diagnose the pain points in collaboration between these teams and the advanced AI solutions teams. The focus groups delved into several key areas:

• Exploration of how AI teams were currently brought into customer engagements.
• Understanding the development stages and challenges customers face in their AI and generative AI initiatives.
• Gathering insights on how cloud account managers and architects perceive AI and generative AI solutions, and how they are promoted to customers.

The focus groups revealed significant gaps in the collaboration process, including a lack of clarity in defining roles and responsibilities, misalignment in solution offerings, and communication challenges that hindered the smooth integration of AI expertise into customer engagements.

The insights garnered from the focus groups allowed PP&A to deliver targeted recommendations to the client:

• PP&A identified a need for a clearer definition of the process of integrating advanced AI solutions teams into customer engagements. The lack of a standardized process led to miscommunications, missed deadlines, and, ultimately, a diminished perception of value versus cost from the customer’s perspective.
• The focus groups revealed a mismatch between the AI solutions offered and the maturity level of the customers. Most customers were in the late pilot or early deployment stages, while the AI solutions teams primarily focused on large-scale deployments. PP&A recommended realigning the AI solutions to better cater to customers' current needs.
• The study flagged the need for improved communication channels and increased frequency of interactions between the teams. However, rather than just increasing touchpoints, PP&A emphasized the importance of prioritizing requests to allow AI teams to focus on high-impact engagements.
• To empower the cloud account management and architect teams, PP&A suggested regular updates on the latest AI and generative AI thought leadership, along with internal workshops to build knowledge and streamline the deployment of AI solutions.
• PP&A also recommended the creation of a centralized repository of internal knowledge resources that would be easily accessible to all teams. This would ensure that cloud account managers and architects are equipped with the necessary information to engage customers effectively.

• Clear processes and improved communication channels are crucial for successfully integrating AI teams into customer engagements.
• Aligning AI solutions with the customer’s stage of maturity ensures better customer satisfaction and higher engagement.
• Regular updates and internal workshops empower teams to stay ahead in rapidly evolving fields like AI and generative AI.

Is your organization facing challenges in aligning cross-functional teams for better client outcomes? Contact PP&A today to learn how we can help you optimize collaboration and drive success in your AI and cloud initiatives.