AI and the industrial workforce: Reinventing the job, not replacing it

By The Coffee Shops. 

Speed, trust and vision: leading AI adoption without replacing jobs. 

Editor’s note: This article was written by ChatGPT based on Karol Weymans’ notes from summit presentations. 

At the recent SRS Distribution x InstaLILY AI Innovation Summit, Sumo Das, co-founder and COO of InstaLILY, moderated a compelling fireside chat featuring Kent Gardner, president of building products at SRS Distribution, who shared insights on how AI is reshaping the industrial workforce without replacing jobs. 

Leads, labor and lending: The foundation of success 

Kent framed the discussion around three critical elements for SRS Distribution: leads, labor and lending. As an essential business during COVID-19, SRS relied on these pillars to maintain operations. Leads represent the people driving demand, labor reflects the ongoing workforce shortage and lending ensures customers have the financial resources to purchase. 

Introducing AI to the team 

Kent described the challenge SRS faced: hundreds of customers could not get the goods they needed. The solution was leveraging data from their data lake and deploying CoSailor, an AI-driven tool. Success, he emphasized, was built on cultivating trusted partnerships both internally and externally. 

A key factor in adoption, Kent noted, was the listening and learning posture of partners like InstaLILY, which helped shift dynamics from pushing products to pulling demand from sales teams. He also stressed that even customers initially adverse to technology will adopt it when approached correctly. 

Leadership expectations in an AI-driven world 

Kent addressed the common concern: Will AI take my job? He cautioned that it could if employees don’t embrace it. For SRS leaders, fostering a collaborative relationship with AI is essential. Customers increasingly expect self-service technology and sales managers must guide teams through this evolving landscape. 

To implement AI effectively, Kent assembled a cross-section of employees including young, experienced and progressive senior leaders — to ensure diverse perspectives. He emphasized that while AI adoption may not be easy, it makes work easier and more productive over time. 

Speed, insight and customer-centric innovation 

Kent highlighted the importance of speed over perfection, citing an “aha moment” from four years ago when customer demand for digital solutions outpaced SRS’s own expectations. Initiatives like RoofHub demonstrated that listening to customers and acting quickly can deliver meaningful results. 

Guidance for leaders 

Kent offered guidance for leaders navigating AI adoption: 

• Be visionary - ensure your strategy prevails. 
• Leverage experience - apply insights from prior journeys to accelerate learning. 
• Embrace the pace of change - the AI landscape is a race, and SRS is positioning itself to win. 

He concluded with a reminder of the competitive nature of the industry: “If you are not first, you are last.” For SRS, AI is not about replacing humans but reinventing jobs, enhancing performance and maintaining leadership in a rapidly evolving marketplace.