Why Leaders Should Embrace AI Now to Drive Real Enterprise Value

Recently, in collaboration with AMEND Consulting, Heartland Ventures, and eGateway Capital, we hosted a panel at the 1819 Innovation Hub on the critical question facing today’s business leaders: How can AI tangibly maximize enterprise value?

The urgency and excitement at our event mirrored what we’re seeing across industries—leaders know that harnessing AI’s potential is no longer optional, but essential. AI is transforming industries, and those who act now will gain a lasting competitive edge. Our panelists—Matthew Murphy, Founder of Batched.io, Maddie Bell ⚡️🗓️, Co-Founder & CEO of Scheduler AI, and Sahitya Senapathy, Founder and CEO of Endeavor—brought invaluable insights and real-world examples of how AI is reshaping industries.

According to recent data, companies effectively implementing AI are seeing 25-30% efficiency gains in automated processes, yet 65% of leaders still struggle with where to start. Our panelists addressed these challenges head-on, offering practical, high-impact strategies that any leader can apply today.

For those of you in leadership roles, here are my reflections on the tactical insights shared, and why now is the time to lean in on AI as a strategic driver for enterprise value.

1. Focus on Micro-Tasks That Drive Macro Value

Too often, AI is treated as a silver bullet for broad, top-level issues. But as Maddie Bell articulated, the real power of AI often lies in automating micro-tasks that drive scalable value. Her company, Scheduler AI, has shown that AI agents can autonomously manage high-frequency tasks like lead qualification, booking, and follow-up—processes that directly contribute to top-line revenue.

Matt Murphy also shared how one manufacturer using Batched.io's AI scheduling solution began by focusing on optimizing a single, targeted task—setup time. This small focus area allowed them to see immediate improvements in operational efficiency, boosting production capacity and driving ROI quickly. By honing in on micro-tasks, they were able to create visible impact early on, which helped build confidence for expanding AI solutions across broader processes.

In my own work with FifthRow, we've been developing AI-driven solutions specifically designed for automating business processes. FifthRow's newest vertical solution revolutionizes the venture exploration process, replacing what might traditionally be a multi-month, million-dollar project with significant insights generated in hours. This acceleration allows enterprises to explore new areas faster, make data-backed decisions, and cut significant costs, illustrating how smaller, repeatable processes can produce large-scale, strategic impact.

Message for Leaders: Identify small, repeatable tasks in strategically important areas that create inefficiencies and let AI take over. This reduces bottlenecks, drives top-line growth, and enhances customer satisfaction. And, you'll make your employees happier and more productive in the process.

"What we want to be looking for in most businesses when we think about applying AI is actually micro-tasks that have a macro impact at scale." - Maddie Bell, Co-Founder and CEO, Scheduler AI

2. Leverage AI to Elevate Customer Satisfaction

Beyond operational gains, AI is a powerful driver of exceptional customer experiences. Sahitya Senapathy shared Endeavor's success in automating order processing for faster turnaround, leading to stronger customer loyalty. Serving customers faster and reducing errors has become a differentiator and competitive advantage.

A similar focus on customer experience can be seen in StoryTap, where we're using video AI to enhance brand-consumer connections. The proof is in the numbers: StoryTap clients are seeing 70% higher engagement rates with authentic AI-generated video content compared to traditional marketing materials, and more importantly, a 40% increase in conversion rates. These aren't just incremental improvements - they're transformative changes in how brands connect with customers.

Message for Leaders: AI can enhance the customer journey, building loyalty and driving top-line growth. Leaders who see AI as a tool for elevating the customer experience will differentiate their brand and achieve long-term gains.

"Real ROI in industrial spaces comes from effectively using generative AI for sales and cost savings—not just relying on chatbots." - Sahitya Senapathy, Founder and CEO of Endeavor

3. The Power of Vertical AI Solutions in Industry-Specific Applications

Vertical AI is democratizing capabilities that were previously only accessible to enterprise-level companies. I explored this concept further in my article, The Verticalization of Everything: How AI is Revolutionizing Enterprise Software. Two examples from our panel illustrate how vertical AI is already impacting operations and delivering bottom-line results:

In the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, Ai Palette's AI Innovation Ecosystem has helped CPG companies launch products 60% faster than their traditional timelines. Their predictive analytics help brands detect emerging trends and develop products that are market-ready faster than their competitors. This vertical AI approach supports the end-to-end product development cycle, enabling CPG brands to generate real-time insights that accelerate time-to-market.

In the manufacturing space, Batched.io has developed a vertical AI solution that optimizes production scheduling and job sequencing, allowing manufacturers to significantly improve operational efficiency. Matt Murphy described how their AI-powered scheduling solution helps job shops and manufacturers streamline workflows, save on material and labor costs, and maximize gross margins by ensuring each job is run in the most efficient sequence. These gains translate to bottom-line improvements and allow manufacturers to move from manual scheduling processes to optimized, data-driven workflows.

Message for Leaders: Vertical AI is changing the game by delivering industry-specific insights and solutions that are tailor-made for unique operational challenges. Leaders who embrace vertical AI solutions will unlock accelerated paths to growth and strategic advantage within their markets.

This rapid growth underscores the immense potential and demand for industry-specific AI solutions, particularly as the global AI market is projected to reach $1.59 trillion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 22.5% from 2022 (Statista).

4. AI Success Hinges on Change Management and Culture

Adopting AI requires a mindset shift across the organization. Murphy and Senapathy both emphasized that AI adoption can stall when people aren't ready to trust it. Leaders must drive a culture where employees see AI as a tool that enhances their roles, not a threat.

A compelling insight from last night's discussion came from Maddie Bell, who shared how one client achieved 90% team adoption by implementing what they called "AI Champions" - designated team members who became internal experts and advocates for their AI solutions. This peer-to-peer approach proved far more effective than top-down mandates.

The panel also highlighted the importance of early wins in building trust. One manufacturing team started with a simple process automation that saved each employee two hours per day on data entry. This visible success created organic enthusiasm for broader AI adoption.

Message for Leaders: Prioritize training and communication around AI adoption. A clear understanding of AI's role will create buy-in and empower your team, making implementation smoother and more effective.

"No matter how stellar your technical skills, platforms, and capabilities, you'll never achieve success if you don't exhibit strong leadership and change management." (IBM's 2024 AI in Action Report)

5. The Strategic Advantage of AI Requires Bold Leadership

One powerful insight I’ve gained through working with companies like FifthRow, Ai Palette, and StoryTap is that AI has the potential to redefine enterprise value—when approached with bold vision and strategic execution. FifthRow’s AI solution, for instance, automates the high-stakes process of new venture exploration, a task that typically costs hundreds of thousands of dollars and months of work. By leveraging AI, this exploration is completed in hours, unlocking resources, dramatically reducing costs, and accelerating time-to-value.

Our panel made it clear that leaders who adopt AI as a strategic imperative, rather than a side project, are the ones seeing the most transformative results. Sahitya Senapathy shared that the most successful companies don’t hesitate or experiment aimlessly—they partner with experts to develop and execute clear AI strategies. This approach accelerates their path to ROI and minimizes the friction of implementation.

At HauerX Holdings, our mission is to help companies achieve AI-enabled growth by designing solutions that go beyond incremental improvements to fundamentally enhance enterprise value. For leaders, this means viewing AI as a core business driver that spans all functions, from venture development to customer engagement and product innovation. AI holds the potential to elevate every corner of the business when approached strategically with skilled partners.

Message for Leaders: AI is here to disrupt your business—if not by you, then by your competitors. Leaders who embrace AI as a central strategy and lean on experienced partners to maximize its impact will be the ones who thrive in today’s rapidly evolving market.

Three Action Steps for Leaders to Drive Immediate Impact

1. Identify a high-frequency, high-impact process to automate with AI. Begin with processes that are repetitive, time-consuming, and have clear potential to drive efficiency and cost savings. Automating these can demonstrate value quickly and create momentum for broader AI initiatives.

2. Engage experienced partners to launch quick-win AI projects that build momentum. Collaborating with experts allows for faster and more effective implementation, helping you navigate common pitfalls and establish scalable AI solutions. These quick wins will build confidence and encourage broader buy-in across your team.

3. Adopt vertical AI solutions tailored to your industry’s specific needs. Solutions designed for your sector’s unique challenges will maximize the relevance and impact of AI in your operations. Industry-specific AI applications often yield the most transformative and measurable results.

"The companies seeing the most success aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest AI budgets—they’re the ones willing to start small, learn fast, and scale what works." - Matt Murphy, Founder, Batched.io and Partner at AMEND Consulting

Closing Thoughts

AI has advanced beyond theory—it's now a competitive advantage for those prepared to integrate it with clear vision and strategy. Last night's conversation underscored that AI isn't just another tool; it’s a transformative force for those ready to leverage its potential. Leaders, if you haven’t already, begin incorporating AI into your daily workflows. Get comfortable with it, and encourage your team to explore its possibilities. The more we embrace and understand AI today, the better prepared we’ll be to navigate and leverage tomorrow's opportunities.

The most powerful moment of the evening came during the final Q&A, when an attendee asked about the risk of waiting to implement AI. Maddie Bell's response resonated throughout the room:

"The biggest risk isn't implementing AI wrong—it's not implementing it at all. Your competitors are already moving forward. The time to start is now."

A big thank you to our collaborators—AMEND Consulting, Heartland Ventures, and eGateway Capital—and our panelists for sharing their expertise. To everyone who attended, it's inspiring to see leaders in Cincinnati's business community investing time to understand the future of AI-driven growth. I look forward to seeing how you continue to innovate and lead with AI.