Continue # Infosys POV 
 crowding the  market, which can be applied individually or in concert. For example, workflow, decision  management, and robotic process automation, through to emerging Generative AI.  Moreover, stakeholders have differing levels of enthusiasm ranging from outright resistance  and box ticking to strong advocates – possibly depending on certain technology types or  vendors. This makes it difficult for CSPs to understand which technologies would best suit  their operations and business goals.<|endoftext|>AI&A maturity and governance models also abound, often themselves siloed, and which are  required to contend with new ethical AI regulation. Some applications of AI may seem  appealing but expose the enterprise to risks like recruiting or the management of critical  network infrastructure.  The benefits that some of these technologies provide will only be felt in the long-term. For  instance, curating quality data is essential to most higher value AI use cases but can be highly  complex, taking years.  Finally, acquiring, developing, and retaining AI skills will remain challenging for the  foreseeable future. Finding the right North Star, organization, and roles to help identify, rollout  and operate AI&A is also a challenge.<|endoftext|>It’s therefore hard to have visibility and make informed decisions. Investment can be applied in  an ad hoc fashion, the easy opportunities missed or held up, and the more difficult but  interesting overserved. By over-strategizing and governing, you can risk accumulating high  overheads, with local enthusiasm and innovation stifled. Too little planning and control leads  to losing precious budget and focusing on a plethora of local initiatives and technologies,  driven by the enthusiastic, with unknown returns.  Why is it difficult to know how best to invest?  23 Value from AI&A | © 2023 Infosys Consulting 

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 CSPs can start to improve their ROI by focusing on the following areas:  Where do CSPs spend to get the most return on investment?  1. Make an inventory of your investments by value stream Depending on the model used (e.g., TM Forum, APQC) there are around 25-30 value streams  in a CSP, more if separated by market segments. Most should see a measure of investment,  however, attention should be focused on business-critical value streams where AI&A can add  most value.  CSP strategies vary but most customer-facing value streams such as lead-to-cash should be  high-focus, as well as key operational areas such as service and network planning,  assurance, and lifecycle management.  Opinions on relative levels of investment may also vary, but there should be visibility and  direction. Targeted improvements to value stream business outcomes in the form of business  critical KPIs can provide achievable North Stars for programs.  24 Value from AI&A | © 2023 Infosys Consulting 

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 2. Use a range of technology There’s no single killer technology, each macro pain point will have a subset of AI&A  technologies that can be considered. If potential is being address, the organization should see: • A range of simple to complex challenges being addressed across most value streams • The highest business impact from the biggest investment in the value stream • A range of established and new technologies being used  25 Value from AI&A | © 2023 Infosys Consulting 3. Check pain points In CSPs, each value stream has relatively well-known macro pain points where AI&A can be  applied, some straightforward – e.g., automation of swivel chair data entry between and  within BSS and OSS systems – others higher value but more complex to address. The latter  include recommending an optimum price point or guiding back-office staff through  labyrinthian business rules for complex B2B products.  

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 4. Direct the investment Taking this AI&A portfolio view can provide a framework to direct investment to the most  appropriate areas for a CSP in the early stages of exploiting AI&A, or to augment more mature  strategies and governance.  To do this successfully, ask yourself the following questions: 26 Value from AI&A | © 2023 Infosys Consulting If AI&A is being exploited well, then a CSP should expect to see initiatives in certain areas, as well  as a range of tactical and strategic endeavors. For example, in lead-to-cash a range of  investments should be seen across all areas of the value stream.<|endoftext|>Are we addressing the low hanging fruit?  Is investment being skewed toward an area where the enthusiasts are,  as opposed to where most value can be gained? Are we avoiding the difficult areas that are strategically important? Are we ignoring certain technology types, or applying others where there  are better options?  Are we chasing too many fads or ignoring great innovations? 

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 27 Value from AI&A | © 2023 Infosys Consulting This can also be further developed to construct an end-to-end view of AI&A initiatives and their  aggregated impacts on a value stream performance. This then raises further questions: Are initiatives creating siloed improvements but not impacting key end- to-end metrics, or are the overall impacts unknown? Has the aggregated customer and employee experience been  considered to create value? Are we consolidating efforts (data, process, tools) at least within or  across related value streams e.g., lead-to-cash, request-to-change,  service assurance? What is the balance between creating quality data architectures vs.  speed of execution and business benefit, especially for ‘low hanging  fruit’? CSPs should expect their internal capabilities or external partners in AI&A to proactively seek to  create such views. They can also expect these stakeholders to come to the table with points of  view on where investment should be made – basing investment on generic discovery phases  where consultants or internal AI&A subject matter experts learn their industry is questionable.  

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 Key takeaways Prioritize, manage, and track activity  through a value stream lens  applying widely understood  knowledge of pain points. This will  ensure appropriate coverage using  a range of established and emerging  technology to manage risk and  achieve ROI.  28 Value from AI&A | © 2023 Infosys Consulting 

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 MEET THE EXPERTS “The  lines  betw een  digita l and  physi cal  retail  will  conti nue  to  blur” MICK BURN Partner, Head of T&O EMEA Michael_Burn@infosys.com RAVI JAYANTHI Associate Partner, CMT Ravi.Jayanthi@infosys.com 29 ALASTAIR BIRT Associate Partner, CMT Alastair_Birt@infosys.com JAMES THORNHILL Associate Partner, CMT James.Thornhill@infosys.com GAURAV KAPOOR Associate Partner, CMT Gaurav_Kapoor01@infosys.com STANISLAVA GASPAR (née Stoyanova) Principal, T&O Stanislava.Gaspar@infosys.com OLU ADEGOKE Partner, Global Practice Head, CMT Olu.Adegoke@infosys.com 

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 consulting@Infosys.com InfosysConsultingInsights.com LinkedIn: /company/infosysconsulting Twitter: @infosysconsltng About Infosys Consulting  Infosys Consulting is a global management consulting firm helping some of the world’s most recognizable brands  transform and innovate. Our consultants are industry experts that lead complex change agendas driven by disruptive  technology. With offices in 20 countries and backed by the power of the global Infosys brand, our teams help the C- suite navigate today’s digital landscape to win market share and create shareholder value for lasting competitive  advantage. To see our ideas in action, or to join a new type of consulting firm, visit us at  www.InfosysConsultingInsights.com.  For more information, contact consulting@infosys.com  © 2022 Infosys Limited, Bengaluru, India. All Rights Reserved. Infosys believes the information in this document is  accurate as of its publication date; such information is subject to change without notice. Infosys acknowledges the  proprietary rights of other companies to the trademarks, product names, and other such intellectual property rights  mentioned in this document. Except as expressly permitted, neither this document nor any part of it may be  reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, printed,  photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without the prior permission of Infosys Limited and/or any named intellectual  property rights holders under this document.    


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