In today's fast-paced and ever-evolving business landscape, companies face unprecedented challenges ranging from economic volatility and geopolitical shifts to rapid technological advancements like AI and changing customer expectations.

Therefore, your company needs to continuously and in an agile manner address all dimensions to maximize the Profit (income) and minimize the Loss (cost), where technology is a key enabler. While many companies invest large amounts in digital transformation like changing their ERP system or focus on a new CRM system which might be the right thing for some. But if this is not the right path for you or you want to be more agile, do you then know how to start small in an agile manner — to generate quick wins? So, this article is more about how to use digital agile tools for smaller initiatives and quick wins in the AI & Digital space.

There is so much happening, but where should we start?

In any large company you have Enterprise architect, Portfolio management etc, but this is something that will not be covered here.

There are a few things you could look into holistically that can help you generate some “quick wins”.

Automating the Repetitive: Here you have a quick win implementing Robot Process Automation (RPA). RPA is a software robot to automate repetitive, rule-based tasks that typically require human intervention. With the key benefit of Increased Efficiency, Improved Accuracy, Faster Processing Times, and Enhanced Compliance. More companies now add AI to their RPA solution, called iRPA (intelligent RPA). Next level is BPMS (Business Process Management Systems) to further support process documentation, process mining etc.

Collaboration & Workflow: Here you have a lot of solutions, everything from video conferencing to workflow where you can speed up things like approval process and enhance the workflow with document management which is good for controlling your version handling and if you want to be ISO certified.

Customer engagement: Of course, things like CRM, eCommerce etc. is vital, but you can rather easily enhance the customer experience by offering 24x7 engagement & services, by establishing a chatbot, a service portal, multichannel campaigns & ads etc.

Insight & Visualization: You can start with small Analytics initiatives, like a dashboard, SLA reporting etc. and once you start to get a grip on it, then you take it to the next level, by investigating predictive & prescriptive analytics, that will help your company improve the planning and decision making.

Agile Development & Pilot: If you want to have a rapid result, use a “No/Low code” tool, it is great for simple applications and where speed to market is a major factor or enhancing functionality in specific areas. There are also tools to help you do rapid prototyping both for physical products like 3D printing and for digital solutions to quickly visualize how something might look and work. This will help you to get quicker to a desired outcome.

Artificial Intelligence: What would an article be without covering AI 😊 ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini are some of the most commonly used GenAI for helping create content, pictures etc. But you can quickly use these powerful GenAI platforms to the next level and integrate it into your business by using tools like Google AI Studio. We at Helix Executives can help and inspire you what to do.

Combining simple digital & AI tools can make a big impact – An example

So even if the above tools are more “stand-alone” solutions, you can combine them to fully automate a process.

Let’s say you want to quickly create a solution to automate the approval and creation of new suppliers by using a few simple agile tools, here is how it could look like:

1) A user goes into the service portal where all company services are gathered, and starts chatting with the ChatBot that they want to add Supplier A. The ChatBot asks some additional questions like for which category it is for and so on.

2) Based on the gathered information the RPA checks the ERP system if the supplier is already existing or if there is some other similar in that category and then sends back this info to the ChatBot.

3) With this additional information the ChatBot gets back to the user and asks if they want to use another already existing Supplier X or if you still want to create a new Supplier A.

4) If the user still wants to create Supplier A, then RPA goes out to the internet and collects additional information like addresses, credit ratings etc to make the Supplier A information more complete.

5) Then RPA kicks-off a workflow by sending the request to the Procurement department, for them to review to either approve or decline the request creating Supplier A.

6) If Procurement approves the new supplier, then RPA will update the ERP system & procurement system, and will also through the service portal send an email to the requesting user that the Supplier A has been created and can now be used.

→ By combining these agile tools Chatbot + RPA + Workflow + Service portal, you’ve now automated an end-to-end process — with no large system change.

Tools within different functional areas

Within a company there are functions like Finance, HR, Procurement, Innovation, Sales etc. In these areas / departments you can also boost efficiency by utilizing the agile tools described above. But there are also some specific tools in these areas that you can easily to deploy out of the box, here are some examples:

HR: There are some obvious things in this area like HRIS and Payroll. But lately there are several good systems supporting your recruitment process like CV screening, chatbot for initial interviewing etc. In the training space (LMS) AI is nowadays much more integrated. Other examples are travelling expenses that can be highly automated. In employee engagement surveys you can use analytics tools for the analyses of the results.

Finance: Since Finance is core in many processes, therefore systems like ERP are vital. But there are several specific areas where you can use specialized tools, for example you can automate and use AI for invoice handling with invoice screening (OCR), fraud detection etc. High automation in Month / Quarter / Year end closing with increased accuracy. Within finance AI is increasingly used for example in controlling function with predictive analytics like cashflow, working capital, what if analyses, and anomaly detection.

Masterdata: Many companies are not putting enough focus in this area. The reality is garbage in garbage out, leading to poor analytics, poor AI, poor automation etc. so don’t underestimate the importance of data quality, definition, governance etc.

Innovation: Innovation isn’t just about ideas — it’s about getting those ideas to market, fast. Digital tools now allow innovation teams to collaborate seamlessly across functions and geographies. Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) and Proof of Concepts (PoCs) can be co-developed with users, tested with real customers, and iterated quickly. Technologies like Computer Aided Engineering (CAE), simulations, and AI-driven development help teams move faster, explore complexity, and bring better products to life — while aligning early with go-to-market strategy and commercial impact.

These are just some examples on how you can use AI, Automation and so on, and other areas like IT (monitoring, security...), Logistics (warehouse, transportation planning...) etc you can apply the same logic. Pick the areas that gives you the best value, and start there.

Don’t forget that you can also integrate some solution in your own products and services, this can bring competitive advantage, value to your customers, and add new value stream with increased sales and profit.

Summary

The journey to becoming a more intelligent, automated, and value-driven enterprise doesn’t have to start with a massive transformation. By focusing on agile, high-impact digital tools and technologies, organizations can unlock speed, scalability, and measurable outcomes. It’s about using the right levers — not just to optimize today, but to stay competitive tomorrow.

At Helix Executives, we support companies in accelerating transformation, improving operations, and making digital tools work for real business value.

Helix Executives

Hans Frölich and Mohittin Milen Kourtev— founders of Helix Executives — bring decades of leadership experience from supporting companies like Volvo Group , SKF Group , EDGE , Autoliv , Essity , and GSK. From building the strategies, launching and operating new business models.

📩 If you want more understanding how AI and agile tools can help your enterprise then please reach out to: contact@HelixExecutives.com