From AI-Skeptical to AI-First: A 50-Person Team Transformation
Northern Ridge Operations · Operations & Logistics
The Challenge
A 50-person operations company had tried AI three times and failed each time. First attempt: bought an expensive analytics platform nobody used. Second: hired a consultant who delivered a 60-page strategy deck that gathered dust. Third: subscribed to five different AI tools that created more confusion than clarity. The team was AI-skeptical, leadership was frustrated, and the CFO had started blocking any AI-related budget requests. Meanwhile, competitors were automating and pulling ahead.
The Solution
We started with a Decode session that revealed the core problem: the previous attempts had been top-down. Leadership bought tools and told the team to use them. We flipped the script. We ran three half-day workshops with the actual operators — dispatchers, coordinators, warehouse leads — asking one question: 'What wastes your time?' They identified 12 specific bottlenecks. We ranked them by AI-solvability and ROI, then built three focused automations in order of impact: automated shipment tracking and exception alerts, AI-powered route optimization for their delivery fleet, and an intelligent document processing pipeline for intake forms. Each automation was built WITH the team, not FOR them. Every operator had input on how it should work. The Transfer phase was built into every sprint — we didn't wait until the end.
The Results
AI tool adoption went from 15% to 78% in 8 weeks. The 12 bottlenecks produced measurable improvements: dispatch processing time cut by 60%, delivery route efficiency improved 23%, and document intake went from 3 hours to 20 minutes per batch. The CFO approved the next phase unprompted. Most importantly, the team started identifying new automation opportunities on their own — 7 additional requests in the first month after launch.
“Three failed attempts. Then build9 came in and asked our dispatchers what annoyed them. That was the difference — they built what our people actually needed.”
Want results like these?
Book a free Decode session. In 30 minutes, we'll identify your highest-leverage AI opportunities.