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In Quebec, productivity remains a major challenge. Despite a rich innovation ecosystem, Quebec businesses still need to work 5.2% more hours than their Ontario counterparts to generate the same value. This lag is explained by the predominance of SMEs, which are often less automated, and by uneven digital transformation: investments are numerous, but the gains are slow to materialize.
While 76% of Quebec organizations claim to have adopted generative AI (KPMG, 2024), the question is no longer should we invest?, but how can we turn these investments into real productivity? Here are three concrete levers.
1. Automate intelligently
Automation should not be systematic. Too many organizations multiply tools without coherence, which complicates operations. The most successful ones instead target low-value tasks to free up human time for strategic activities.
The right approach: map workflows, identify repetitive processes, then automate those that deliver the most value.
The pitfall: automating an inefficient process without rethinking it—just because it’s faster doesn’t mean it’s better.
2. Optimize workflows and data
True productivity relies on internal coherence: connected data, smooth processes, aligned teams. Yet, too many companies still work in silos.
The concrete lever: use process mapping or process mining to detect frictions and harmonize systems. This approach often reduces duplication, speeds up information flow, and creates the conditions for effective automation.
In a context of labor shortages, optimizing workflows allows doing more with the same resources.
The pitfall: stacking disconnected technological solutions that further fragment operations.
3. Measure value differently
Digital projects are often judged by their immediate ROI, yet sustainable gains—data quality, organizational fluidity, employee satisfaction—unfold over time.
The concrete lever: define broader indicators (time saved, error reduction, decision-making speed).
The pitfall: abandoning a project due to a lack of instant results. Productivity is built over time.
Toward rethought productivity
With a world-class AI ecosystem and a strong capacity for adaptation, Quebec has everything it needs to amplify its digital shift. For technological adoption to translate into tangible gains, three conditions must coexist:
- targeted automation,
- optimized processes,
- and value measurement aligned with strategy.
Productivity is not decreed: it is designed, piloted, and embodied over time. This is how organizations will transform technological innovation into a lasting advantage.
This article is part of Talsom’s reflection on organizational intelligence: converging human, process, and technology to create sustainable value.