Unlocking the Productivity Trap: AI's Role in Enhancing Value in Low-Value Industries

The Productivity Challenge Facing SMEs

Many Malaysian SMEs find themselves in what economists call the “low-value-add trap”—where too much time is spent on repetitive, manual work instead of strategic growth. An article found that sales reps waste 30%[1] of their week on manual works like data entry, updating spreadsheets, and chasing emails.

This drag on productivity limits competitiveness, especially as regional and global players invest heavily in automation and innovation.

Why AI Matters in Escaping the Trap

AI isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about elevating human potential. Research done recently shows that AI can automate up to 45%[2] of repetitive business processes, freeing employees to focus on higher-value tasks like boosting sales revenue generation and innovation.

For SMEs, that means fewer hours lost to spreadsheets, emails, and data entry—and more hours invested in building relationships, developing products, and to focus on their sales revenue growth.

The Numbers Speak for Themselves

The transition to AI-powered tools is not a far-off future—it’s already here:

• An article claims that  “ [3]Artificial intelligence has the potential to boost labor productivity by up to 40 percent.”
  
  

• According to a recent business survey, “ [4]business leaders have “solid confidence” in emerging technologies, giving a global tech confidence score of 87 out of 100. Crucially, 65% of respondents identified AI as the technology most likely to impact their business in the coming years.”
  
  

• Another study also found that " [5]digitalized SMEs had boosts of 26% more sales revenue growth compared to those that remain manual." 

Moving from Low-Value to High-Impact

Here’s how AI breaks SMEs out of the productivity trap:

• Scaling Customer Value: AI-driven personalization has a direct impact on enhancing sales revenue generation, with studies showing it can lift ROI by 5-15%[6]. By analyzing customer data, AI uncovers high-potential upsell opportunities to maximize customer lifetime value.
  
  

• Driving Strategic Sales Revenue Growth: “ [7]Companies already seeing 20% of their earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) contributed by artificial intelligence (AI), for example, are far more likely to engage in data practices that underpin these characteristics.”

A Smarter Path Forward

Escaping the productivity trap doesn’t require a massive budget. Affordable AI tools are already accessible for SMEs, from workflow automation to analytics dashboards. What matters is starting small, identifying your biggest productivity blockers, and letting AI handle them.

🚀 Ready to free your SME from the productivity trap? Contact us on WhatsApp to get started: and explore how our AI automation solutions can shift your business from low-value work to high-value growth and enhance your business’ sales revenue generation.

References:

1 Kallala Giri (Crmleaf), July 7, 2025, "How CRM Automation Saves Sales Reps Hours Every Week?"

2 Vladica Ognjanovic (MVP), January 24, 2025, "AI in the Workplace: Automating Repetitive Tasks"

3 Accenture, September 28, 2016, "Artificial Intelligence Poised to Double Annual Economic Growth Rate in 12 Developed Economies and Boost Labor Productivity by up to 40 Percent by 2035, According to New Research by Accenture"

4 Viva Technology, September 5, 2025, "The AI Advantage: Tech Competitiveness in a Global Market"

5 Singtel, February 1, 2019, "4 Benefits of Digitalisation for Small Businesses"

6 Richelle Deveau & Others (McKinsey), May 11, 2023, "AI-powered marketing and sales reach new heights with generative AI"

7 McKinsey, January 28, 2022, "The data-driven enterprise of 2025"