BORACAY — Philippine businesses planning to use more artificial intelligence (AI) need computer systems that can handle new tasks and employees who know how to use the tools. At the VSTECS CXO Tech Summit, the discussion focused on putting AI to work, from handling customer questions to processing documents and helping companies plan ahead.
With the theme “Rethinking IT: Powering the AI-Driven Enterprise,” the gathering brought together leaders from banking, retail, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, BPO, and government to discuss how technology can help their businesses and organizations.
“As executives, our job is no longer to predict the future with perfect accuracy. Our job is to build organizations that are modular, resilient, and fluid enough to pivot when the future changes overnight,” said Jimmy Go, president and CEO of VSTECS Phils. Inc., leading distributor of ICT solutions in the Philippines, in his video message.
For Go, “architecting the future” involves choices businesses can make today: which systems to improve, how to prepare employees, and where AI can help. These decisions belong in the company’s business plans because they affect costs, customer service, and the ability to grow.
Go cited customer service, credit scoring, demand forecasting, document processing, and software development as areas where businesses are already putting AI to work. Companies moving past trials are using these tools as part of their daily operations.
For example, AI can help staff read and process documents that would otherwise require manual work. Demand forecasting helps businesses estimate what customers will need so they can plan supplies. Credit scoring helps lenders assess borrowers, while AI coding tools help developers write or revise software using instructions in everyday language.
“Two years ago, AI was a demo. Last year, it was a pilot. This year, the leaders who are pulling ahead have moved it into production: into customer service, credit scoring, demand forecasting, document processing, and software development,” he said.
Go also described AI that can take action across different systems. This goes beyond answering a question: The technology can help carry out tasks that involve several steps or tools. Businesses exploring these uses need to consider how AI will fit into the way their employees already work.
Businesses need to know first which task needs improvement? The uses Go described give managers, IT teams, and employees something concrete to discuss. They can look at the work being done, where delays occur, and whether an AI tool could help.
As companies use more AI, their computer systems also need to keep up. A tool tested by a small team may eventually need to serve more employees or handle more work. Businesses need room to make those changes.
Go’s description of a “modular” organization means having parts that can be changed or improved as needs change. Being resilient means being able to keep working through problems. Being flexible means being able to adjust plans when something unexpected happens.
Hardware is part of that planning. Go said growing AI demand is putting pressure on supplies of memory and storage, which computers need to run programs and hold data. Businesses must consider those needs when planning AI projects and buying or upgrading equipment.
These choices also concern the people running the business. The systems a company buys affect how much it spends, how quickly it serves customers, and how much work it can handle. Go placed technology decisions within those wider business concerns.
Employees need preparation, too. Go pointed to the Philippines’ English-proficient, service-oriented workforce and the importance of helping people learn to use AI in their jobs.
“Our job as leaders is to make sure our people are on the right side of that line,” he said, referring to the growing importance of workers who can use AI.
In customer service, Go described employees handling difficult or sensitive conversations while AI takes care of routine questions. For software developers, he named GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Windsurf, and Cursor as tools that can help with coding.
Buying software is only part of the work. Employees also need to understand what a tool does and how to use it in their tasks. Preparing people therefore belongs alongside spending on computers and software.
Go also stressed the need for technology suppliers, partners, and customers to work together. VSTECS works with global technology brands and the businesses that sell, install, and use their products in the Philippines.
That gives the company a view of what works locally, which projects struggle, and which products are bought but never used. It is a practical concern for any business investing in AI: The technology needs to become useful to the people doing the work.
Go closed by connecting technology plans with the company’s direction.
“Turn your technology roadmap into your core corporate strategy. Empower your teams to experiment, fail fast, and scale faster.”