AI in SMEs: Why data literacy is becoming mandatory - and how companies should act now
Artificial intelligence promises efficiency, innovation and growth. However, before companies can leverage this potential, they need to lay the foundations - and this is precisely where many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) still have a huge problem.
The workshops held by the Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Berlin show that many companies want to get started with AI, but do not have a reliable database or the necessary expertise in the team. The consequences are sobering: projects do not deliver usable results, processes remain inefficient and frustration increases.
At Passion4IT, we regularly encounter this pattern - and therefore rely on a simple rule: No AI project without clear objectives and a clean database.
Data management is the new foundation
Data is the raw material for every AI application - but only if it is structured, consistent and centrally manageable. Unstructured information in emails, notes or scans must not only be collected, but also processed intelligently.
Among other things, the Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum recommends OCR technologies, labeling strategies and central systems for data maintenance. We have also addressed precisely these challenges in our own AI solution amaiko.ai: AI alone is useless if it does not have access to reliable, well-maintained data.
Strategic goals instead of AI for AI's sake
Another key learning from practice: companies need to know first, for what you want to use AI. Do I want to improve my customer service? Automate production processes? Optimize forecasts? The use of AI only makes sense once these questions have been answered.
Many SMEs are still jumping too early - or even too late. If you start now, look at your own data and think strategically, you will gain a valuable head start.
2025: AI expertise becomes mandatory
Things will get serious from February 2025 at the latest: the EU will then require (in accordance with Art. 4 of the AI Regulation) that all employees who work with AI systems have demonstrably appropriate skills. This includes technical understanding, ethical awareness and a feeling for the risks of the technology.
At Passion4IT, we therefore focus on practice-oriented training and support - from the first "aha" moment to productive use. Whether with our own solution amaiko.ai or with Copilot, ChatGPT & Co: our customers benefit from comprehensible communication, realistic use cases and accompanied implementation.
Conclusion: act now - or fall back
AI is not hype. It has been around for a long time. And it is here to stay. If you don't get to grips with data management and skills today, you run the risk of being left behind - technically, economically and strategically.
Use the time before you lose it. We are happy to support you - with workshops, advice, tools and a realistic view of your options.
👉 Find out more at passion4it.de or by talking to us directly.
