Does your scheduling process take considerable time out of your day? Do scheduling conflicts and team meetings swamp your task lists?
There's no denying that manual scheduling is a time-consuming job, filled with errors that cause even more problems (like double bookings.)
Even worse, sudden changes can force last-minute changes. A lack of buffer time leaves no time for tasks and can overwhelm a busy schedule.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) meeting schedulers offer a practical way to tackle all of these issues. AI systems can learn, think, and make decisions, almost like a human, but faster and 24/7. It's the driving force behind modern-day automation and AI schedulers like Motion.
A recent report found that 97% of business owners think AI will benefit their businesses. This means that if you don't start using it sooner than later, you'll get left behind.
To make things worse, at the moment, only 29% of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have jumped on the AI bandwagon. Hopefully, your competition isn't in that 29%.
If AI is new territory for you, don't fret. You can start small, by using AI for scheduling or task management. Let's dive in deeper and see how (and why).
How is AI helping with scheduling?
People sometimes make scheduling mistakes because of a lack of experience, work pressure, stress, or too much data.
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AI doesn't make mistakes, never stresses or feels work pressure, and it works 24/7. Here are some ways it can help you.
Smart scheduling
Manual scheduling is prone to human error, time-consuming, and (because of these) extremely inefficient. You've probably dealt with outcomes: scheduling conflicts, or late deliverables.
AI scheduling solves this since it can analyze scheduling data for behavior, patterns, preferences, and (associated) tasks to create optimized schedules.
For example, let's say Max runs a digital marketing agency that has 26 employees and several clients. The problem is that his clients are always changing priorities, leading him to constantly adjust his team's schedules.
But with an AI system, Max simply adjusts project deadlines within the app and the AI will readjust schedules automatically.
When it comes to personalized scheduling, AI can study each team member's behavior, patterns, and scheduling preferences to optimize their schedules (and time).
Let's say Max's copywriter (Jane) is a morning person, and that's when she is the most productive. The AI will prioritize (and schedule) her important creative tasks in the AM, and bump the admin tasks to late afternoon. The AI can also consider factors like travel and commute times and other availability considerations.
AI schedulers do all of this with machine learning, like natural language processing, which means they'll only get better at scheduling over time.
Calendar management
AI schedule apps often sync with most calendar apps like Google Calendar. The AI calendar assistant can read the calendar to find the best time slots for meetings and tasks. AI can even do this for a group of people. Schedular AI will find the most suitable meeting times for everyone, and, like a personal assistant, schedule the meetings.
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For example, Max just got a new client and he invites them to use his AI scheduling system so that he can book meetings with them. Once the AI system has been integrated with his client's calendar, it can help Max lock in key early-stage meetings. Doing this removes any back-and-forth emails (to find an ideal time for all parties).
Resource allocation
AI schedulers can improve the efficiency of your resource allocation by optimizing your team's workflow. To do this, the scheduler AI ingests your projects, the tasks that lead to the deliverables, and current schedules. It then effortlessly and accurately allocates tasks to resources at the optimal time.
For Max, this is a game-changer. All he has to do is create a new project in his AI scheduling app, add the subtasks, deadlines, and priorities, and his AI system takes care of the rest.
AI schedulers can also help when inevitable changes occur. For example, if there’s a sudden change request that Max’s clients are happy to pay for, the AI can help you quickly adjust the allocation of resources to compensate.
Data analysis
Humans can't collate massive amounts of data and make accurate, efficient decisions like an AI-powered tool.
It's hard to collate and make schedule decisions based on availability, time off, vacation requests, contract hours, overtime, qualifications, and shift patterns. However, an AI-powered tool can analyze massive amounts of data way faster than we can ever hope and help us make accurate decisions in seconds.
For instance, let's say Max wants to create an annual team performance report. Instead of analyzing all the project details that go into this, he could use AI to crunch the data. The AI can instantly ingest project data and summarize how each team member performed. Max can then use the report to address any performance issues.
Combining AI analytics and business intelligence like this is a match made in heaven.
Benefits of AI for scheduling
Why use AI for scheduling? There are many reasons, but here are some top benefits.
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Decision-making
Not only can you make faster, better decisions with AI tools (because they crunch the data so quickly), but they can prompt you to make those decisions preemptively.
For example, Max's AI system alerts him about a possible delay with a critical project. He immediately sees that Jane is falling behind, which is causing issues. He offloads some critical tasks, and lets his AI scheduling tool adjust her daily schedule. Problem solved (in an instant), and everyone is happy.
Schedule quality
With an AI scheduler app, you get the most efficient and effective schedule possible because the AI is always working its magic (thousands of times a day).
Optimized schedules like this remove the need for extensive planning and administration because the AI can easily factor in resource availability, timeframes and your portfolios.
For example, Max has a new long-term project. He'd normally have to plan a timeline and schedule project tasks while balancing work from his current portfolio. Instead, he relies on his AI-powered "virtual assistant" to do the heavy lifting for him.
Time management
Certain AI schedulers (like Motion) can help with time management.
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One way Motion does this is with a feature known as "time blocking." Time blocking is a productivity hack where you structure your day around time blocks. You then use those time blocks for deep work (i.e. no distractions). With Motion, you simply select the times that you prefer for deep work, and it'll slot those into your daily schedule.
Smart time management like this can seriously boost productivity. To learn more about time blocking, read this article: Time Blocking 101
How do you choose an AI app for scheduling?
Now that you know what AI schedulers are and their benefits, let’s go over what you should look for when you choose one.
Easy to get started
Nobody wants to spend hours configuring their scheduling software. Look for an AI scheduler that offers a hassle-free onboarding process so you can connect it to your chosen calendar with little effort. It should take you less than five minutes to get up and running.
Easy to use
The software dashboard and user interface must be user-friendly, intuitive, and easy to navigate. It is, after all, your calendar and home base, so it should make your life easier, not more complicated.
A good AI scheduler should have a wealth of useful content to help you learn how to use it. The app should have tooltips, articles, and videos to do this.
True AI
Not all scheduling apps labeled as “AI” are, in fact, fully AI. Some use advanced algorithms or other coding practices to simulate smart software.
Make sure that the one you choose has genuine AI capabilities. This is especially important if you want to grow and scale your business.
Use Motion’s AI scheduler
Motion is equipped with true AI task management and scheduling capabilities. It can automatically arrange work, meetings, and other vital duties for you and your team.
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It'll also quickly alert you if it spots any bottlenecks or timeline issues so you can adjust and ensure your operations never miss a beat.
With Motion, you can efficiently track your team's performance and progress. The tool provides real-time insights into project status, and task completion rates, which you can use for informed decision-making.
Oh, and Motion seamlessly integrates with most calendars.
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