Toyota Motor North America is embarking on a bold transformation by leveraging generative AI to revolutionize HR and IT service desk requests. Jason Ballard, IT executive and general manager for infrastructure and operations services, aims to eliminate the traditional service desk by 2025, not by cutting jobs but by insourcing technical talent and automating processes.
The company’s early adoption of generative AI, rooted in robotic process automation (RPA) efforts, led to the creation of AgentAsk in collaboration with Moveworks. This ChatGPT-like service has streamlined issue resolution, achieving a mean time to repair (MTTR) of 11.4 minutes, significantly outperforming the industry average.
AgentAsk, utilized by over 75% of Toyota’s employees, has not only resolved technical issues but also paved the way for innovative applications, from finance to legal inquiries. Ballard emphasizes the importance of organizational change management and advises IT leaders to start small, align efforts with objectives, and maintain a forward-looking approach.
Toyota’s journey showcases how generative AI can enhance employee productivity, accelerate issue resolution, and facilitate a cultural shift toward automation and upskilling.
