Unlock scalable impact with AI agents.

In a recent article, McKinsey & Company made a stark forecast: SMBs that fail to deploy AI agents in their operations will underperform not just marginally, but significantly and irreversibly compared to those that adopt and integrate these technologies now.

This is more than just a tech trend. It’s a structural shift in how work gets done.

What Are AI Agents?

Think of AI agents as digital team members that can: Autonomously complete business tasks, coordinate across tools and data, learn and improve through feedback. 

But they are not just glorified chatbots. These are task-specific, pre-trained workers that can:

In short, AI agents do real work.

Why Non-Adopters Will Underperform

McKinsey’s article outlines 4 reasons why laggards will fall behind:

Labor Cost Imbalance

SMBs using AI agents can handle 3–5x more tasks per employee. Non-AI SMBs will spend disproportionately more on hiring and operations reducing profit margins.

Speed of Execution

AI-driven SMBs make decisions faster. An AI agent can analyze customer behavior or forecast cash flow in seconds. Humans doing the same takes hours or days. Time is money — especially in small businesses.

Customer Expectations Are Changing

Customers now expect instant, personalized service. AI agents help deliver that at scale — without hiring an army. SMBs without AI risk offering outdated, slow, and impersonal experiences.

Data → Action Gap

SMBs are sitting on tons of data — but few can act on it in real-time. AI agents bridge that gap. They connect insights with action. If you're not automating this, you’re wasting value.

The Winners Are Already Emerging

Early adopters are already seeing:

• 30–60% cost savings in back-office tasks

• Higher lead conversion rates via AI-powered sales outreach

• Faster project turnaround

• Happier employees, freed from repetitive work

One retail SMB used AI agents to automate inventory ordering and saw a 15% increase in on-time restocking, while reducing operational overhead.

Another B2B software company deployed an AI agent to handle inbound lead triage — and increased SQLs by 40% in just one quarter.

This Isn’t Optional. It’s Existential.

Let’s be blunt: If you’re not using AI agents in 2025, you’re not just behind, you are at risk of becoming irrelevant.

Why? Because your competitors who do deploy AI agents are:

• Serving customers faster

• Closing deals quicker

• Hiring less and scaling more

• Making smarter decisions in real time

They will outprice you. They will outperform you. And they will outlast you.

Where SMBs Should Start

You do not need to hire AI engineers or build from scratch.Platforms like NUMA AI let you deploy pre-vetted AI agents for business-critical tasks in minutes.

The playing field is already shifting. AI agents are the new leverage. They are the biggest opportunity for SMBs since the internet.

 If you’re not deploying AI agents yet, you are already behind. But the good news? It’s not too late. Yet.

Ready to test your first AI agent? Try NUMA OS — and see what your business can really do when the machines get to work.