The Challenge
When Applelec first engaged with AIMAI, their team was curious but cautious about the role of AI in the workplace. Skepticism, fear of job displacement, and general uncertainty were common. Applelec knew that AI had the potential to improve productivity, but they needed help to build real confidence and find meaningful, practical use cases.
Project Goals
- Raise AI awareness across the organisation.
- Identify real-world opportunities for AI application.
- Embed simple, practical AI usage into daily workflows.
- Boost overall efficiency and free up time for higher-value activities.
The Approach
Step 1: Targeted Team Training
AIMAI delivered three tailored training sessions for key office staff and high-impact players. Each session was hands-on, practical, and focused on showing how AI could help make everyday tasks faster and easier.
Key focus areas included:
- Using ChatGPT to draft emails and documents.
- Summarising meetings and conversations with Otter.ai.
- Automating basic admin tasks without needing technical skills.
Step 2: One-to-One Workflow Reviews
Following group sessions, AIMAI conducted individual workflow reviews with high-impact team members. These conversations helped surface specific processes that could benefit most from automation or AI support, ensuring the solutions were relevant and immediately valuable.
Step 3: Implementation of AI Workflows
The insights gained from the reviews are now driving the development of three high-impact AI workflows, tailored specifically to Applelec’s operational needs. These workflows are designed to save time, reduce manual effort, and spark broader cultural adoption of AI.
Challenges and How We Overcame Them
Addressing Skepticism and Fear
One of the biggest initial hurdles was early skepticism about AI’s role. Team members worried about AI replacing jobs rather than enhancing them.
AIMAI tackled this by:
- Reframing AI as a tool for creativity and productivity.
- Giving every participant tangible, role-specific examples they could implement immediately.
- Creating a positive, momentum-building experience from the first session.
Results and Impact
- Culture Shift: Staff across Applelec are now confidently using AI tools to support daily work.
- Productivity Boost: Tools like ChatGPT and Otter.ai have been widely adopted.
- Tangible Time Savings: The three AI workflows are on track to save over 100 working days per year once fully implemented.
- New Mindsets: Staff are proactively identifying additional opportunities for smarter, AI-supported working.
In Their Own Words
“Before the training, I always felt like I was chasing my tail — constantly a few days behind where I needed to be. Now I’m actually ahead of the game, and it’s made a massive difference to how I work.”
“AI has completely changed how quickly I can generate ideas and content. What used to take a few hours now takes minutes, and I’m finding it much easier to stay on top of deadlines.”
“Some of the more repetitive tasks I used to dread now take a fraction of the time. It means I can focus on the bigger priorities without getting bogged down in the day-to-day.”
Conclusion
AIMAI’s partnership with Applelec shows how small, practical steps can create big shifts in confidence, efficiency, and mindset around AI. By making AI accessible and relevant, AIMAI helped Applelec lay a strong foundation for a smarter, more agile future.
