Mojo Up co-founders JP Simonis and Daniel Buchanan teach national organisations how to properly integrate, secure and use AI technology. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
There’s nothing worse than feeling overwhelmed by technology you don’t understand, especially when it comes to AI.
Tools and programs that promise to transform businesses for the better have flooded markets around the globe. But how do you know they’re secure, or even useful?
And if the technology is sound, is there a surefire way to integrate it?
JP Simonis brought Canberra cyber firm Mojo Up to life in 2024. He now directs a team of cybersecurity, AI, business processes, and project management specialists with co-founder Daniel Buchanan.
After more than 25 years in the industry, JP says the secret to AI success is simple.
“Focus on the basics and the rest will follow,” he says.
“Plenty of professional people still have little to no experience with this kind of technology. Building confidence is the first step, so don’t worry about work-related tasks in the beginning.
“Start simple. Try using an AI model to brainstorm ideas, expand a phrase, or search the web.”
When used properly, AI can massively improve productivity, resource management, and staff wellbeing across all sorts of organisations.
“For example, someone working in federal government could save hours by automating their reports,” JP says.
“If your small business can’t afford a full-time comms person, consider using a large language model to generate draft content.”
Of course, not every platform is created equally.
Some are designed for a single purpose, others are more general, and accuracy can vary from pinpoint to downright shameful. Don’t be afraid to challenge a program if its answer doesn’t feel quite right.
“Your sense for accuracy will improve with experience, hence all the practice,” JP says.
“You can always rescope your question or ask the AI to fact check, improve its response, and provide you with references.
“Think about your default search engine; sometimes you have to tweak your search to refine the results. It’s a similar learning curve.”
Most of JP Simonis’s clients are in government, defence or intelligence. But Mojo Up also works with businesses and not-for-profits. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Once AI models feel familiar to use, you can start to up the ante.
Consider where your average workday could be improved. Menial, time-consuming or repetitive tasks are usually fair game for automation.
Found an issue AI could solve? Your first instinct will probably be to find a tool and fix it asap, but JP warns against rushing in.
“There’s no point in just choosing a program and assuming it will work in your environment,” he says.
“The same model could be an effective tool or a waste of resources, depending on what it’s used for, how, and where.”
JP has seen all kinds of organisations land in hot water this way, though he thinks the trend comes from being overloaded with options rather than a lack of diligence.
He almost always recommends a ‘technology-last’ approach to AI – no matter the industry.
Mojo Up recently worked with Microsoft to design a series of workshops based on this approach. The process empowers leaders of an organisation, including non-technical employees, to understand the most outdated aspects of their jobs.
“Identifying where to improve and building a business case comes first,” JP says.
“Then we prioritise aspects to refine based on how impactful their improvement would be.
“Towards the end of the course, we delve into a tailored risk-benefit analysis to determine which tools or technology could suit. This essentially reverse engineers solutions based on the outcome clients want to achieve.”
JP and his team are also working on a Microsoft-based portfolio and project management tool – Mojo PPM.
Clients using licences they probably already own, such as Microsoft 365, can host the program internally. It will be a powerful tool for reporting, compliance, and eventually, capability improvement.
“Most project management tools out there are based on data capture and tracking. They often require a lot of manual handling,” JP says.
“We’re building technology into Mojo PPM that will allow for simple automation of tasks like reporting and compliance.
“Our AI agent will ask questions to narrow down capability improvements, run them against the client’s risk matrix, then offer possible solutions.”
According to JP, the most important step in AI use is adding a human element. Technology can get you started, but any finishing touches or final sign-offs should be yours.
“AI is a tool, and like every tool, its impact relies on how you use it,” he says.
“The sweet spot is not replacing people with AI. It’s teaching them how to use the technology, then integrating a tool that helps them do their job.”
For more information or to explore Mojo PPM, visit Mojo Up.
