Billions of individuals are already using machines as customers.

• By 2028, Gartner predicts that the number of IoT connected products deployed will increase from more than 13 billion to 15 billion, with these devices having the capability to act as customers.
• By 2030, it is predicted that machine customers will contribute between 15% and 20% of a CEO's total revenue.
• Today, Amazon, Walmart, Tesla, and Carvana are all utilizing machine learning customer versions.

As technology continues to advance, it's increasingly likely that customers interacting with a company today are machines. Therefore, IT leaders must be ready for the era of the machine customer.

Gartner's customer experience research group vice president and analyst, Don Scheibenreif, stated that machine customers are already present and performing tasks that would typically require human intervention.

IoT devices are capable of acting as customers, purchasing services and supplies on their own and for their owners, according to Scheibenreif.

By 2028, Gartner predicts that the number of machines will reach 15 billion, and CEOs estimate that 15% to 20% of their revenue will come from machine customers by 2030.

Scheibenreif stated that currently, over 100 emerging machine customer examples are being tracked, with a steady increase in new ones.

Customers can receive messages from their surroundings, such as advertising, offers, emails, and information, as stated by Scheibenreif. For instance, Carvana employs bots to receive messages from individuals attempting to sell their cars.

Smart shelves in homes or offices can be used to automatically reorder consumable products once a certain usage threshold is reached, according to Scheibenreif.

"Walmart has implemented AI-powered chatbots to negotiate with suppliers of non-resale goods, such as fleet services and equipment used in retail stores, in order to find the best value and execute purchases," Scheibenreif stated.

Tesla vehicles can diagnose their own issues, order parts for service, and schedule a service appointment.

"The platform enables the machine to automatically procure what it requires from its manufacturer," Scheibenreif stated.

According to Vishal Gupta, CTO, CIO, and senior vice president of connected technology at Lexmark, the integration of analytics, AI, and IoT device connectivity has reached a maturity stage, resulting in billions of connected devices.

Gupta stated that these connected devices present a new opportunity to monitor conditions and automatically place orders for repairs and supplies without human intervention.

According to Gupta, businesses that use connected devices have a significant opportunity to expand their customer base over the next five to seven years, including those targeting both consumer and business customers.

Nearly 100 IoT sensors are present in Lexmark's more than 1.5 million connected printers.

Gupta stated that our customers can monitor metrics related to the maintenance of their machines and the supply levels through our IoT connectivity and intelligence, resulting in the shipment of thousands of printer cartridges daily without human intervention.

Predictive maintenance and the ability to automatically find and resolve issues can enable machines to last at least 50% longer and reduce downtime by more than 60%, according to Gupta.

How to get ready for machine customers

IT executives must develop a strategy for assisting machine customers immediately, if they haven't already.

Gupta stated that IT leaders must create a comprehensive plan that focuses on organizational alignment, skill development, and technology to seize this enticing machine customer opportunity.

Gupta stated that the initial step for CIOs and their IT team members is to collaborate with business executives to determine the most valuable use cases where machine learning can generate significant revenue or cost savings opportunities.

To support machine customers, they must establish a technical foundation and hire professionals with expertise in IoT, edge computing, AI, and cloud technologies, which are already present in IT teams.

Don't wait for the ideal opportunity; others will take the lead," Scheibenreif advised. "Be the leader who unites everyone on this opportunity. Form a machine customer investigation team and enlist senior representatives from strategy, IT, product development, sales, and service.

Scheibenreif advised creating scenarios that examine market opportunities for IoT-enabled products in situations where customers use the company's products and services. CIOs and technology leaders must determine how machine customers may alter their companies' go-to-market strategy. Scheibenreif emphasized the importance of collaborating with sales, product, service, marketing, and IT to lead the organization's technology architecture to support machine customers.