The 80% you are not designing for
Most enterprise AI strategies are designed for knowledge workers sitting at desks with reliable internet connections. But approximately 80% of the global workforce does not sit at a desk. They are on construction sites, in hospital wards, at retail counters, in delivery vans, on factory floors, at agricultural operations, and in field service roles.
These workers have smartphones. Many have tablets. Some have rugged laptops. What they often do not have is reliable internet connectivity.
- Construction sites: Connectivity is inconsistent. Basement levels, steel-framed structures, and remote locations have no reliable signal. Workers need to reference blueprints, safety regulations, and material specifications.
- Healthcare: Hospital Wi-Fi is often overloaded. Clinical areas may have dead zones. Workers need decision support, drug interaction checks, and documentation assistance.
- Field service: Technicians work in basements, tunnels, remote industrial sites, and inside equipment enclosures. They need troubleshooting guides, maintenance procedures, and parts catalogues.
- Logistics: Warehouse workers and delivery drivers move through areas with variable connectivity. They need route optimisation, package handling instructions, and inventory queries.
- Retail: Store Wi-Fi can be unreliable during peak hours. Workers need product information, inventory checks, and customer service assistance.
For these workers, "works offline" is not a nice-to-have. It is a deployment requirement. An AI assistant that shows "No internet connection" when the construction foreman needs to check a concrete mixing specification is worthless.
