Process standardization: the driving factor for bringing artificial intelligence and management analytics to SMEs

Information Technology (IT) use is continuously broadening to new domains and applying to different applications. Today, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and management analytics are two of the most promising technologies that are being embedded into many applications. However, using AI and management analytics to solve specific problems and support decision-making requires custom developments and specialized personnel, which are not easily reachable for SMEs. In this paper, we argue that the standardization of processes will allow the integration of AI and management analytics capabilities into the IT business applications used by SMEs. This paper identifies three relevant drivers that are powering process standardization in SMEs. This thesis is backed by an analysis of IT trends and the discussion of distinct views about the use of AI and management analytics.