Adopting a User-Centric Technology Strategy: The Challenges and Benefits

Empowering the Visually Impaired Through Technology: Bosma’s Vision in the Age of AI

Bosma’s mission is to help visually impaired people navigate a sight-centric world. This is done in many facets, whether it be programs aimed to teach newly visually impaired people methods to accomplish everyday tasks, championing their plight in the halls of Washington D.C., or researching emerging technologies that can assist. It’s this latter category that Bosma has started to become the go to for others to help navigate a world full of programs, apps, and devices, to weed through the ones that weren’t built with a visually impaired user experience expectation.

With Bosma’s interest, and mine as the technology leader, in leveraging emerging tech to assist our employees, customers, and partners, we of course have started the foray into the Artificial Intelligence market, testing products, and learning about upcoming projects. This includes helping other brother and sister organizations know which companies have made it clear that they are not interested in making their products work for visually impaired individuals. What we have found may interest you, even if your company’s focus isn’t similar to ours, because we may have discovered things that can assist you in finding the right company and the right product(s) for you.

We initially look for quick-win, easy implementation products that align with our company’s goals.

The first, easiest, and quickest return on investment was Grammarly. The level of communication, including AI prompting, has increased significantly. Documentation has improved and become more prevalent, which any technology driven company will tell you, is always a much-needed change from the usual standard. The second was the use of Loom. This is a product that allows for recording instructional video, and with the AI addition, allows for captioning and turning How To videos into written instructions or documentation. It is also useful when getting details about a meeting without making you sit through the whole recording. There are others that if you are interested in, we will gladly take some time to update you on.

Next, we investigated other solutions that required more effort to set up and/or maintain.

My favorite, thus far, is the use of drones in the warehouse for inventory counting. Working with GatherAI and Ascent Solutions, we have launched drones that fly through the warehouse three times daily to count our stock and compare it to what our system shows. Every July we stop production for two days to allow enough time to do a full inventory count. Now, with the system being compared three times daily, the downtime of our facility may be done in the after hours and not stall our production. In addition, the data we collect about trends includes any errors to help us isolate and resolve issues as they arise.

Currently, we are investigating how Salesforce AI can assist us with orders, customer service, and community interest pieces.

As a Salesforce Partner, we look forward to our ongoing relationship with them regarding helping all of their products work with such applications as screen readers. We are also looking into adding AI assisted robots in our loading dock to assist in labor that is repetitive, riskier, and physically taxing. Our goal here is not to replace any of our employees, but to find ways to free them up to assist with areas that are more suited for their skill sets. This could be from anything, such as opening more production lines, creating more programs to assist our clients, or to conduct product research.

With Bosma’s mission to help visually impaired individuals find gainful employment, I want to reiterate that our goal is never to use AI, or any of the technologies we investigate, to replace workers. That would be counterintuitive to who we are and the values we cherish. Our goal is, and will always be, to find ways to improve people’s lives. To offer them solutions that allow them to work smarter, productively, and most importantly, to be considered a just as desirable hiring candidate as a sighted individual. All of the tech we look into is always under the lens of User-Centric Based Technology.

With that in mind, here are some highlights to common reasons for hesitation to adopt new technology, or specifically, AI.

User-Centric Technology Addresses Common Challenges

First, let’s start with some of the most common challenges and how a user-centric technology strategy helps address them.

Resistance to Change. Employees often resist new technology implementations due to fear of change or the unknown. Overcoming this requires strong change management practices and ongoing support.

Skill Gaps. Not all team members may be proficient with new technology. Training programs must be established to bridge these skill gaps and ensure everyone is confident in using the new system.

Communication Breakdown. Poor communication between departments can impede the effectiveness of a user-centered strategy. Establishing clear communication channels is vital to align teams and share feedback.

Balancing Technology and Human Insight. Over-reliance on technology can overlook the invaluable insights employees provide. It’s essential to blend technological capabilities with human expertise to optimize inventory management.

Resource Allocation. Allocating adequate resources for training and support can be challenging. Organizations must prioritize investing in their people to realize the full benefits of new software.

Benefits of User-Centric Technology

In an era where technology drives business success, adopting a user-centric approach to software strategy, especially in inventory management, has become essential. By placing employees at the heart of technological initiatives, organizations can unlock a wealth of benefits that enhance operational efficiency, foster collaboration, and improve job satisfaction. For example:

Enhanced User Adoption. A focus on people encourages greater buy-in from employees, resulting in smoother transitions and better utilization of the software.

Improved Decision-Making. Employees on the front lines have crucial insights about operations. Engaging them leads to more informed decisions and better inventory strategies.

Increased Efficiency. When employees are comfortable with the software, they can operate more efficiently, reducing errors and improving order fulfillment times.

Greater Collaboration. A user-centered approach fosters collaboration across departments, leading to more cohesive inventory strategies and enhanced overall performance.

Career Advancement. Involving employees in the decision-making process creates a sense of ownership, leading to increased job satisfaction and retention.

To sum up, adopting any new technology strategy comes with challenges but the benefits far outweigh them when putting people at the center of the process. By prioritizing the right technology partners with user centric design, you’ll be able to utilize the latest advancements while also empowering your team. Learn more about us at www.bosma.org.