Exception: AI adoption to address operational inefficiencies

I. Company Overview

Company Name: Exception
Industry: AI Consultancy
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland 

Exception UK is a specialist digital consultancy delivering to clients in the public and private sectors.

 I. AI Implementation and Impact

Business Problem 

The client faced significant operational inefficiencies across several departments, including legal document review, procurement, meeting productivity, and business analysis. The company needed a solution that could streamline these tasks, reduce time spent, and enhance overall efficiency.

Identifying AI as the Solution 

AI was chosen for its ability to automate repetitive tasks, reduce human error, and handle large data volumes quickly. The company identified that AI could improve the efficiency of key business functions, leading to reduced operational costs and more time for higher-value work.

Selecting the Right AI Technology and Partner 

Exception worked closely with the client to identify the best AI solutions. After assessing various AI technologies, including natural language processing (NLP) for document analysis, machine learning for data processing, and workflow automation tools, Exception’s team ensured that the chosen solution would seamlessly integrate into their existing operations.

Quantifying the Impact 

The success of the project was measured by the time saved across key tasks, with significant improvements in efficiency. Additionally, the AI-driven project delivered a potential of 5% OPEX saving for each division that adopted the technology, which resulted in considerable cost reductions at scale.

AI implementation has identified substantial time across various tasks, with time reductions ranging from 50% to 89%. Specifically:

• Interview transcription time reduced from 1.5 hours to 10 minutes (89% time saving)

• Excel-based data analysis tasks were reduced by up to 75%

• Legal and project document reviews were streamlined with time savings of 50%–75%

• Presentation creation time was cut by 75%, reducing 4-hour tasks to just 1 hour

• Meeting productivity saw a 62.5% time saving for generating minutes and action lists

• Procurement processes were sped up by reducing data extraction tasks from 2 hours to 30 minutes

• High-level IT business analysis time was reduced by 75%

• Legal document insights gained a 50%–75% time saving, improving responsiveness and accuracy

These improvements, coupled together, brought out the 5% potential OPEX saving, have transformed the operational capabilities of the client, enabling them to do more without increasing their overheads.

Challenges and Overcoming Them 

One key challenge was ensuring smooth integration of AI tools into existing workflows. Exception addressed this by working directly with client teams to adapt the tools to their needs. Additionally, ethical considerations were prioritised from the outset with the first part of the project setting out principles and boundaries. Ethical concerns and challenges were handled across the C-suite and down through the organisation, with varying impacts depending on function and seniority level.

Impact on Employees, Customers, and Stakeholders 

The adoption of AI has streamlined repetitive tasks, freeing up staff to focus on higher-value work. The enhanced efficiency has improved the organisation's ability to manage public finances better and deliver more value.

II. Adherence to Scottish AI Strategy Values

a. Ethics 

AI ethics were considered from the very beginning. The challenge of addressing ethical concerns varied depending on the role within the company, from the C-suite down to operational staff. These challenges were addressed by ensuring that ethical principles were applied consistently across all levels.

Exception adhered to the core AI ethics principles of fairness, transparency, and accountability. The ethical framework was integrated into every phase of the project, ensuring that all employees understood the AI’s functions and potential impacts.

The client employs rigorous data validation protocols, ensuring that all data used in AI systems is accurate, reliable, and securely stored.

b. Trustworthiness

Transparency was prioritised throughout the project. The AI models were designed to provide clear explanations for their decisions, helping employees understand how insights and recommendations were generated.  This was coupled with cultural change that ensured people understood how to interact with the AI tooling, and how to use the data output.

c. Inclusion

Bias mitigation was addressed by reviewing training datasets for fairness and adjusting the AI models to ensure unbiased decision-making.  As some solutions used industry standard models, ensuring the process and workflow matched the use of AI and that the cultural and change management part of the project where given a major focus, ensured that the user was always the master of decision making.

III. Sharing Best Practice

Lessons Learned 

AI adoption should align with business goals and workflows. Ethical considerations must be integrated from the start, and businesses should invest in employee training to ensure effective implementation. Additionally, it is essential to select AI solutions that are scalable and adaptable to your unique needs.

IV. Contact

Contact: Michael Romilly 
Position: Head of Innovation 
Email: michael.romilly@exceptionuk.com
Website: exceptionuk.com