Is integrating AI into our service delivery actually one of our Three Uniques, or are we just wasting time building something that is going to become table stakes next year?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To determine if AI is a true differentiator, you must look at it through the lens of your Three Uniques in the V/TO. A true Unique is something that your competitors cannot easily replicate. If any competitor can buy the same off the shelf AI software and achieve the same results, your AI feature is not a Unique. It is simply table stakes.

Applying the concept of Strategic Real Options, you must assess if your proprietary data, custom workflows, or unique client interactions create a defensible moat. If you are just layering standard AI on top of a standard process, you are incurring a high cost for something that will soon be commoditized.

Instead, look at how AI enhances your existing Three Uniques. For example, if one of your Uniques is speed of delivery, AI can accelerate that. If your Unique is high touch customization, AI can help your team personalize at scale.

Use your next quarterly meeting to IDS this issue. Ask yourself: if our competitors adopt this same technology next year, does our business model still stand out? If the answer is no, then treat this AI initiative as an operational efficiency Rock to cut costs, not as a marketing differentiator. Focus your strategic positioning on what the technology enables your people to do, which is harder to copy.