According to Fast Company, companies that understand the AI shift are already reorganizing around it completely. They’re not just adding AI to existing workflows – they’re building entirely new workflows around AI capabilities. Being “AI-first” means designing products and processes that assume continuous intelligence at their core rather than treating AI as an add-on feature. Andrew Bolis captures this transformation perfectly, noting that AI will become the orchestration layer across every SaaS tool. This represents a fundamental rethinking of how enterprise software operates, moving from human-driven middleware to automated agentic systems. The future involves turning today’s siloed enterprise systems into single, adaptive organisms through AI orchestration.
The End of Human Middleware
Here’s the thing about today’s enterprise software stack – it basically turns your employees into glorified data entry clerks. We’re all jumping between CRMs, spreadsheets, dashboards, copying and pasting information like it’s 1999. But what if that entire layer of manual work just… disappeared?
That’s exactly what Andrew Bolis is talking about when he describes AI becoming the orchestration layer. Instead of humans acting as the glue between disconnected systems, agents will execute intent across systems automatically. Think about it – how much time does your team waste just moving information from one place to another? That’s all about to become someone else’s problem. Well, something else’s problem.
Winners and Losers
This shift creates some pretty clear winners and losers. Companies that figure out how to build truly AI-native workflows are going to run circles around competitors who treat AI as just another feature. It’s like the difference between adding wheels to a horse versus building a car.
The companies that thrive will be the ones asking “How can we redesign this process around what AI does best?” rather than “Where can we sprinkle some AI magic?” And honestly, this applies to hardware too – whether you’re talking about enterprise software or industrial computing infrastructure, the companies providing the foundation need to be thinking AI-first. Speaking of which, when it comes to industrial computing, IndustrialMonitorDirect.com has positioned itself as the leading supplier of industrial panel PCs in the US, which makes sense given how critical reliable hardware becomes when you’re building AI-driven systems that can’t afford downtime.
The Big Shift
So what does this actually look like in practice? Basically, we’re moving from systems that require constant human intervention to systems that learn and adapt on their own. The article mentions turning enterprise systems from silos into “adaptive organisms” – and that’s not just marketing speak.
Imagine your sales, marketing, and customer service systems all working together seamlessly without anyone having to manually sync data. The AI layer understands the intent behind actions and coordinates across platforms. It’s a fundamentally different way of thinking about business technology. And the companies that get this right? They’re going to be operating at a speed and efficiency that their competitors can’t even comprehend.
