Fewer people, more results: how SMEs multiply productivity with AI

Summary SMEs are using Artificial Intelligence to increase productivity and competitiveness, reducing costs and rework, through strategic solutions applied to key areas such as sales, support and logistics.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which account for 80% of the country's workforce, according to Sebrae, often face the challenge of growing without disproportionately increasing operating costs. In this scenario, the need to generate more results with fewer resources has become a constant, especially in times of heightened competition and tight margins. Therefore, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as an affordable and effective solution for increasing productivity without necessarily increasing headcount.

According to a recent IBM study, 78% of companies expect to increase their investment in AI by 2025, which represents a strategic focus for companies of all sizes. In this sense, AI can be seen as the engine of a ship: powerful and capable of quickly taking the vessel to its desired destination. However, steering, choosing the path, and defining the destination remain the responsibility of business leaders. It is precisely in this strategic combination that small businesses are finding significant opportunities.

Companies that implement simple AI solutions, such as basic automation in sales, customer support, or financial management, often manage to reduce rework by up to 30%, freeing up time to focus on what truly generates value: new business, customer loyalty, and innovation. Practical examples reinforce this reality.

A small logistics business, which previously had to manually manage routes and deliveries, implemented an AI solution to significantly reduce delivery delays and optimize vehicle utilization, generating direct savings and increased revenue.

Another company, in the sales sector, managed to automatically reactivate inactive customers through an intelligent system that identifies purchasing patterns and sends personalized messages automatically and regularly. The result: a 20% increase in sales in just three months.

The secret to these small revolutions lies in starting with clear problems and well-defined objectives. It's not about acquiring technology for the sake of it, but about identifying precisely where the biggest pain points and operational inefficiencies lie and using AI as a tool to eliminate them.

Therefore, the assertive use of AI offers a real opportunity for small businesses to multiply results, significantly increasing their competitiveness without having to proportionally increase their staff. After all, productivity and results aren't synonymous with more people, but rather with better tools and well-targeted strategies.

(*) Rafael Sanchez is CEO and founder of Evolução Digital, a technology company with Artificial Intelligence solutions applied to business efficiency.