This title sounds like a marketing gag. I promise you, it's not. It is a tried and tested strategy, but it requires a radical change of perspective.

Most SMEs are obviously taking the wrong approach to AI. One Current MIT study confirms this as follows: 95 % of all enterprise AI projects deliver zero ROI. Why? Because they fall into the complexity trap.

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I myself have now spent a few nights building complex, multi-level automation workflows in tools like n8n. It felt productive at first. But it was a house of cards. One tiny mistake and the whole system collapsed. This is the expensive way, the frustrating way - and it definitely does not lead to double productivity.

The mistake is that we see companies as machines. We think we can just put in a new, shiny AI part and everything will be better. But a company is a living organism. The value of an AI is a emergent property - it arises from the interaction of your processes, your culture and your people.

In order to increase this value, it is not enough to hunt for tools. Rather, it is about thinking in systems: Take a bird's eye view and see the big picture.

And here's the good news: when you do, you'll discover the real productivity levers right where you never thought you'd find them - in the tools you're already paying for.

Your playbook: Double productivity without a budget

Step 1: Zoom out - your company as a system.

Forget the tools for a moment. Take a whiteboard and draw one of your core processes. For example, the process from customer inquiry to quotation. Who is involved? Where does information flow? Where is there friction, misunderstandings and waiting times? This system analysis shows you the real problems.

Step 2: Generate a large output with minimal effort.

Most SMEs are only using a fraction of the AI capabilities in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. This is where the potential for an immediate Increased productivity - for free.

• Taming the meeting monster: Let the AI create a summary and a to-do list from each meeting transcript. Time saving: 30 minutes per meeting.

• Stop the flood of emails: Faced with a complex request? Ask the AI for five different draft answers - from diplomatic to direct. Time saving: 15 minutes per complex e-mail.

• Research in minutes, not days: Do you need a market analysis, an overview of the most important competitors or new leads to boost sales? A precise prompt to the AI provides you with a sound basis in 10 minutes that would have taken an employee days in the past. Time saving: Enormous.

• Creativity at the touch of a button: Share 3 current customer-related experiences with the AI (recorded on your smartphone) and ask for 10 ideas for social media posts, including text and image suggestions. Time saving: hours per week.

If just a few of your employees use these techniques, you can already more than double their productivity in these areas.

Step 3: Build your human system.

Technology is only one half of the system. The other half is the people. The "lone wolf" mentality is the biggest killer of innovation for SMEs. A study on "Boardroom Psychological Safety" shows that teams with a high level of psychological security 25 % are more innovative. Find your "peer support". Exchange ideas in masterminds, learn from the mistakes and successes of others. This exchange is the greatest accelerator you have.

Stop waiting for the one magic AI tool. The revolution doesn't start with new software, but with new thinking.

Thinking before the tool. That's the whole trick.

What is the one "quick win" you could achieve next week with the existing AI in your company?

Register now: AI Café on September 10 in Schaan

This event shows ways to a well thought-out digitization strategy.

• What: AI Café: Guidelines & practical examples for SMEs

• When: Wednesday, September 10, 2025, 4:30 - 7:00 p.m.

• Where: RUUF, Duxgass 55, 9494 Schaan, Liechtenstein

• Participation is free of charge.

Register and secure your place today: