At Info Exchange, we know HR leaders are under pressure to deliver faster results with fewer resources. That’s why, as an IBM Silver Partner, we pay close attention to how IBM uses its own AI innovations to transform business operations—and what lessons can be applied right here in Jamaica.
Imagine reclaiming 12,000 hours in just three months—and reinvesting that time into coaching employees, planning for growth, and building fairer workplaces. That’s exactly what IBM’s HR team achieved when they tackled a familiar challenge: administrative overload.
For years, their promotion cycles consumed most of each quarter. HR staff spent week after week chasing data across spreadsheets, multiple systems, and endless email threads. The process was repetitive, time-consuming, and left little room for strategic work. Instead of replacing existing HR platforms, IBM used its own technology to build HiRo, an AI assistant powered by watsonx® HR Agents. HiRo automated the heavy data work without disrupting established workflows.
The results were immediate. What once took 10 weeks was completed in 5, freeing thousands of hours for more valuable tasks. Importantly, the AI never made promotion decisions—it simply gathered, formatted, and shared information so HR could focus on making fair, informed calls.
Do it Right – A Blueprint for Smarte HR
IBM’s success offers a practical roadmap for organizations everywhere:
- Start with the real problem—Time. Don’t “add AI” just for the sake of it. Target bottlenecks like manual data handling that drain productivity. By automating the chase for information, HR professionals are free to focus on decision-making and strategy.
- Support, don’t replace, human judgment. AI prepares the information—people make the decisions. This balance ensures fairness and builds trust.
- Start small, then build to scale. Once you see results in one area, expand into onboarding, training, and other HR functions for maximum value.
- Collaborate from the start. Early involvement from HR and IT ensures smooth integration with existing systems like MyHR+, BambooHR, or OrangeHRM—avoiding costly migrations.
- Prioritize adoption and trust. The technology only works if the people using it trust it. Building in transparency, clear audit trails, and easy-to-use interfaces helps HR teams embrace AI as a partner, not a threat.
Why It Matters
AI isn’t about replacing people—it’s about enabling them to do their best work. By embedding AI into existing HR systems, businesses can speed up processes, reduce burnout, and give HR professionals more time to focus on strategy and employee experience.
For leaders, the lesson is clear—integrating AI into the systems you already have can be a force multiplier for efficiency and impact.
Where Info Exchange Fits In
At Info Exchange, we help organizations apply these same lessons. As an IBM Silver Partner, we guide HR and IT teams in embedding AI into their current platforms—removing bottlenecks, streamlining processes, and giving people the freedom to focus on what matters most.
The technology is ready. The opportunity is here.
What are you waiting for? Book a consultation with Info Exchange today and start building a smarter HR function for your business.
