Digital consulting firm Perficient Inc. has created a global innovation group within its operations in an effort to determine how best it can help customers use cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology.
Perficient (Nasdaq: PRFT) said the new innovation group is the first of its kind inside the company and includes about 500 of its employees globally focused on collaboration and education around generative AI, with an emphasis on helping customers figure out how to use the technology within their own operations. Generative AI includes software like ChatGPT and technology that can “produce various types of content, including text, imagery and audio,” according to TechTarget.
"I don’t think a day goes by that we aren't engaged with clients on generative AI, and most importantly, we’re actively doing billable work, implementing solutions with clients and talking with many more. Companies are turning to Perficient as a partner to help them understand the potential in leveraging generative AI,” Perficent President and Chief Operating Officer Tom Hogan told analysts last month in an earnings call.
With $905.1 million in 2022 revenue, Perficient provides consulting services to help companies integrate different software and technology tools into their systems. It has 7,500 employees and operations in four continents and 10 countries.
Hogan said in an interview that Perficient for years has worked with clients to help them use artificial intelligence in their businesses. That includes helping develop and integrate chatbots and analytics technology that uses artificial intelligence to help businesses better interact and understand customers, Hogan said. He said the new innovation group provides an opportunity to bring together its employee base globally to collaborate, share knowledge and create use cases around generative AI for its customers
“It’s a place where we can bring in a use case from a customer and say, ‘Here’s a challenge we’re trying to solve with a customer. How would we solve it,'" Hogan said.
In addition to discussions with customers about generative AI, Hogan said Perficient also is in dialogue with technology vendors as they seek to understand the type of generative AI tools businesses are interested in incorporating into their operations.
The creation of Perficient’s new innovation group comes as Hogan said he believes the adoption of generative AI is still in its “early innings" and that it's important for Perficient to make sure it understands the technology.
“We’ve always pivoted toward new technology. That’s where we fit in the ecosystem. It’s nothing but opportunity for us,” Hogan said.
Perficient reported second-quarter net income of $26.4 million on revenue of $231.1 million. That compares with net income of $27.8 million and revenue of $222.7 million in the year-ago quarter. Perficent in July also announced that longtime CEO Jeff Davis will retire and shift to the role of executive chairman, effective Oct. 1, with Hogan being named his successor.
