Let us delve into the various ways the latest AI developments promise to transform corporate relocation programs, address its benefits, challenges, and the future landscape it promises.

Exploring the Potential of AI in Mobility Programs

The fusion of AI tools and mobility data may potentially reshape the way decision-makers perceive and strategize talent management. The emergence of AI has set the industry (and the world) on fire with imaginative applications of the technology.
For example, by merging mobility data with other sources of information, companies can potentially gain profound insights on how best to attract and retain talent in competitive markets, reduce biases in the decision-making process, and maximize the return on investment of their employee mobility program.

Current Relocation Industry Adoption of AI

Although AI integration in mobility programs is still in its early stages, some pioneering Relocation Management Companies (RMCs) and suppliers have already begun the development and deployment of AI within their delivery processes. Initially focusing on financial transactions, these companies are gradually expanding their AI usage to include natural language chatbots as part of the customer experience, and process automation. The main challenge faced by many in the mobility industry is the establishment of consistent and reliable data, which has proven to be crucial for effective AI solutions.

Key Applications of AI in Mobility Programs

While AI is still very much in its infancy, there are three primary use cases for AI in the support of mobility services:

Financial Administration: 

AI can streamline critical, but repetitive, financial tasks such as categorizing support documentation, processing expense reports, managing allowances, and facilitating supplier payments. The benefits include accelerated payments, enhanced data integrity, and improved payment accuracy - mitigating potential compliance risks.

Customer Service Support: 

AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants can simplify common tasks associated with relocation, providing instant responses to common questions. This can ensure quick and consistent accessibility to relevant information, improving the overall employee experience and maintaining the momentum of the move. It also provides customer service teams with another resource to support generic information sharing, which enables customer support to direct their focus to relocating employees with tailored, program- or policy-specific needs during key milestones during a move.  

Minimizing Administrative Burdens:

Utilizing AI to assist in categorizing documentation, tracking essential dates, and sending reminders for significant milestone events can produce time savings. This will free up frontline service delivery teams to provide a more personalized focus on the needs of the relocating employee throughout the mobility process.

The Future of AI and Mobility

As an emerging technology, RMCs are continuing to explore the potential uses of AI to help redefine the way companies manage their talent mobility programs. As the use of AI becomes more common, the industry is closely watching to see how businesses leverage these advancements to stay ahead in the world of talent management.

Unlocking the Potential of AI in Relocation:

The potential applications for AI in relocation are seemingly limitless:

• AI can analyze large amounts of data to generate comprehensive reports and insights, enabling better assessments of housing markets, cost of living, and other influential factors. Identifying patterns in relocation costs, origin/destination data, the time of year, and other data points and trends can be analyzed to help forecast the costs of a company’s mobility program.
• Personalized service recommendations could be generated by AI for each relocation, enhancing employee experience and satisfaction. This could extend to recommendations based on an assessment of the employee’s destination needs such as neighborhood information, lifestyle alignment, housing options, schooling information and more. 
• AI machine learning could be used to optimize household goods transportation routes and efficiently utilize available supplier capacity, reducing shipment delays and the costs associated with any programs typically most expensive line items.
• The integration of AI into mobility programs can assist in cost reduction through more efficient service delivery, the streamlining of administrative tasks, and improved data accuracy.
• AI potentially enables suppliers to provide enhanced services that were previously considered too expensive or challenging to deliver manually.
• The automated preparation of cost estimates and other financial support items can help to expedite the delivery of reporting and compensation services.

Challenges to Implementing AI in Mobility Programs

Implementing cutting-edge AI in mobility programs is not without its challenges:

Data Consistency and Integrity

Most AI use cases require access to data in a reliable format. Organizations looking to implement AI should first tackle data integrity by establishing standards for system usage to ensure clean and reliable data.

Process Consistency

Implementing AI processes alongside established company standards allows for automation to be more easily incorporated. If an organization has many procedural exceptions or ill-defined processes, AI integration and usage becomes more challenging.

AI Technology Must be Consistently Trained

Continued “training” of BOTS to help them learn must be considered as it takes time for the software to learn to follow specific instructions and imitate the desired behavior. In addition, defining and training for specific use cases is necessary for accuracy and efficiency targets to be reached.

Responsible AI Use in Mobility

Companies should be careful to leverage AI technology responsibly to enhance the processes behind their programs and support the professionals who deliver services and guidance. By using technology to free up your people from redundant or repetitive processes, they can better focus on meeting the needs of the unique individuals they are helping to relocate.
As an emerging technology, the ramifications of AI’s use in mobility are not fully understood today. A key draw to AI is its ability to collect and analyze large amounts of data. Close attention should be paid to the deployment of AI and its interaction with, and access to, potentially sensitive company and personal data. Regional and international regulations around data protection and privacy change every day, and the impact of these rules on the use of AI in conjunction with private data may potentially change as time progresses.

Cornerstone’s Thoughts on AI Use in Relocation Programs

What an amazing technological milestone that we are witnessing today! While artificial intelligence is still in its infancy, AI-powered relocation technology may usher in a new era for the talent mobility industry. The potential applications of AI are seemingly limitless, and the advantages gained from its use to streamline processes, automate the triggering of events at key milestones, and develop a deeper understanding of the complex patterns and trends within a mobility program are exciting, to say the least.

However, it is important to remember that special something that AI cannot replicate: the human connection.

At its core, relocation is a people-focused business. While the emergence of AI technology within the relocation industry is no doubt exciting, it is important to understand that no amount of technology can replace the assurance, guidance, and wisdom of a seasoned relocation professional.
 
At Cornerstone, we do not intend to replace our people with AI processes, nor do we rely on chatbots, call centers, and ticket systems to track and field questions from your employees. We pride ourselves on the level of expertise found across our teams and provide your employees with direct access to each member of our service team (phone, text message, video meetings, and email).

For some, relocation represents a potentially stressful experience. We firmly believe in providing your employees with someone who will be their advocate, listen to their needs, and provide compassionate support. Our highly trained and experienced teams of mobility professionals have relocation stories of their own and will be with your employees every step of the way.