The following article is a paid advertisement provided by SystemX.
Artificial intelligence is moving fast.
For most people, that does not mean thinking about algorithms, data centers or software models. It means something more practical: What is this going to do to my job, my business, my family and my community?
That is the question behind SystemX, a Lubbock-based technology company being built around what founder J.R. Ferguson calls human-first infrastructure.
‘I just don’t want humans to get blindsided’
“The rate of acceleration is incredible. … I just don’t want humans to get blindsided.”
“Let me just be honest about this with the whole AI thing. I wish it didn’t exist. I truly wish it didn’t exist. But it does.”
The response is not to run from the technology. It is to make sure people have access to it too.
“My interest is using it as a leverage tool.”
That is the premise behind SystemX: as machines become more capable, people and local businesses need better tools to remain capable too.
“This is not just a roofing issue. This is an ‘every industry’ issue.”
“As technology advances, to me it’s critically important that we provide the tools necessary to give us a competitive advantage and extend the life of what I believe is the human-based economy.”
The philosophy is simple: machines and computers should serve people, not the other way around.
‘I know the pain points’
SystemX did not begin as a theory about artificial intelligence. It began with the problems that happen every day inside real service businesses.
Ferguson spent about 20 years in the service industry and founded J Ferg Roofing, which grew into one of the larger roofing contractors in the country before the company eventually failed.
“I have 20 years of domain expertise in the service industry. I know the pain points. I have outgrown my infrastructure. I have felt the crash and collision. Number one, I don’t want people to have to deal with that if they can avoid it.”
Anyone who has worked inside a service company knows the pattern.
A call comes in. Someone schedules it. Someone inspects it. Someone sells it. Someone orders materials. Someone performs the work. Someone communicates with the customer. Someone makes sure the bill gets paid.
As the company grows, those responsibilities spread across more people and more systems. Information ends up in texts, emails, spreadsheets, accounting software, calendars and separate applications.
Then somebody has to remember how all the pieces fit together.
That is where things fall through the cracks.
“All the tools that I ever tried to use in the past didn’t work. … They weren’t real-world application.”
SystemX is being built around the idea that technology should fit the way work actually happens.
“The ultimate goal of SystemX, yes, is this human-first infrastructure. … It’s about integrating AI into the human economy.”
What he built
SystemX is developing an interconnected system of digital tools designed to guide a customer and a company through the service process from beginning to end.
At each stage, employees and supervisors can know what needs to happen next. Customers can know what to expect.
The system is modular. Different parts of the business can have different tools, but the information is intended to stay connected.
At the center is what Ferguson calls an action engine.
“We provide from the very beginning what’s called an action engine.”
The idea is straightforward: the system looks at what happened, what needs to happen now and what should happen next.
“[Employees] can look at their schedule for today and already know everything that is required of them because of the action control center.”
If an inspection is complete, the next step can begin. If a document is missing, the system can flag it. If something stops moving, management can see where it stopped.
“You don’t want to ever have to enter the information more than once.”
The goal is not more software. It is less confusion.
“It creates a cohesive environment with real-time notifications, automation, and everybody always knows what’s happening, what’s the current step, what’s next, and inside of a controlled environment.”
SystemX can be configured around different service industries, including construction, roofing, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, cleaning and real estate.
Different industries have different processes. The basic problem is the same: people need to know what happened, what needs to happen now and what happens next.
Ferguson is also using artificial intelligence to help build the software through a system he calls Forge.
“I’ve built software that’s called Forge. … It’s a software printer; it’s like a construction job site.”
The concept is similar to a job site where specialized crews perform different tasks from the same plans. AI can handle narrowly defined development work while people remain responsible for the larger system and outcome.
The human ecosystem
SystemX is intended to extend beyond the internal operation of one company.
“The grand overarching view and vision is to connect the human economy. It’s a human ecosystem.”
A house provides an easy example.
Over its lifetime, a homeowner may hire roofers, plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians, fence contractors, landscapers and other service companies. Today, those records are usually scattered among different companies, emails, folders and phones.
SystemX envisions an ongoing service history for the property itself – similar in concept to the history available for a vehicle through CARFAX.
Repairs, inspections, replacements and recommendations could remain connected to the property over time.
“Everything goes through SystemX. … It compiles it and says, ‘Here’s your report. Here are the recommended actions. If you’d like to move forward with this process, click one of those. But if not, then here’s your report.’”
That same infrastructure could connect homeowners with local service companies when work is needed and help good businesses remain connected with customers they have already served.
Why West Texas matters
The timing is becoming especially relevant in West Texas. Data centers, power infrastructure and advanced computing projects are increasingly part of the region’s future, meaning some of the physical infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence may be built in our own backyard.
If West Texas is going to help power what comes next, the people and businesses already here should understand what is happening, prepare for it and have an opportunity to participate in it. Ongoing coverage is available at https://www.806ai.ai/west-texas/.
See if it’s the right fit
SystemX is not intended to replace people or make every decision for them.
People still make the choices. People still build relationships. People still perform the work. The digital tools are leverage.
SystemX is primarily being built for service companies that have reached the point where growth and complexity begin working against them – where employees, customers and systems are no longer communicating consistently and important things start getting missed.
“Control the process, control the outcome, which in turn provides a more predictable outcome for both parties and lowers the ultimate delivered cost.”
But the larger purpose goes beyond operating efficiency.
Artificial intelligence is becoming more capable. Robotics is advancing. The economy is changing. Nobody knows exactly how quickly those changes will reach every job or industry.
That is also why 806ai.ai exists. It is a free site focused on helping ordinary people understand artificial intelligence in plain language. There is nothing for sale on it.
The purpose is awareness.
People cannot prepare for something they do not see coming. Workers cannot adapt if they do not understand what is changing. Small businesses cannot use tools they do not know exist.
“The rate of acceleration is incredible. … I just don’t want humans to get blindsided.”
That is the idea behind SystemX: create awareness, give people leverage and help keep humans connected to the economy they built.
More information about SystemX is available at SystemXTechnologies.com.
AI news and education are available at 806ai.ai.
West Texas coverage is available at https://www.806ai.ai/west-texas/.
