The companies that last aren’t the ones with the biggest budgets or longest histories. They’re the ones that spot a shift early, act with conviction, and bring their people along for the ride.

Think of how Netflix moved on from DVDs before anyone else dared, or how Tesla doubled down on electrification when the auto industry laughed at the idea. These weren’t safe bets—but they were decisive.

That’s why we created this series: to shine a light on organizations choosing to embrace change, not just to protect their bottom line, but to invest in their people and keep them future-ready.

This time, our spotlight turns to ALDA – the European Association for Local Democracy, and their Western Balkans team, who chose to join AIatWork as a way to work smarter, free up capacity, and create more real impact.

👉 Schedule a call today and start your company’s AI transformation.

Q&A with Emir Coric

You were one of the people responsible for your company’s participation in AIatWork. What made you push for it, and how did you explain the value internally?

“At ALDA, we are dedicated to the promotion of good governance and citizen participation at the local level. We joined AIatWork because we realized AI could help us save time, reducing routine work and focusing on creating real impact. It all clicked when we saw how even small efficiency gains could free up resources and unlock new potential for projects across the Western Balkans and beyond.”

How many people in your company are currently involved in AIatWork?

“Right now, we have 8 people at ALDA Balkans office actively involved in AIatWork, including staff from policy, communications, and project management. All of us join the live sessions regularly”

What made your company decide to join AIatWork at this exact moment instead of waiting?

“For ALDA, it wasn’t client pressure or competition, it was an internal need. We work across many communities in Europe and the Western Balkans, and our projects generate huge amounts of data, reports, and communications. We joined AIatWork now because we needed practical AI tools to save time, free up capacity, and focus more on strengthening local democracy and supporting communities.”

What’s the most useful or visible way your team has already applied AI since joining AIatWork?

“We’re still at the beginning—only a couple of sessions in—but even at this early stage, we’re seeing potential. As we keep learning, we expect this to grow into real time savings, letting us focus more on ALDA’s core mission: strengthening local democracy and citizen engagement.”

What’s one AI use case you’d love your organization to master next, but you still need the right skills or support?

“We would love to master AI to speed up policy analysis, automate multilingual communications for different audiences across Europe, and streamline project management tasks like automating reporting, tracking deadlines, and organizing documents. These are time-consuming processes and with the right training and tools, AI could help us deliver more efficiently.”

In one sentence, how would you describe your AIatWork experience as a company so far?

“We are only starting, but I believe that AIatWork can help us work smarter and focus more on our mission”

What’s been the biggest mindset or cultural change your company has noticed since starting with AIatWork?

“At ALDA, we have always had an open and collaborative culture, so AIatWork naturally fit into that mindset. Even after just a few sessions, people feel more confident experimenting with AI”

If you had one chance to persuade another business leader to join AIatWork, what story or proof point would you share?

“Even in the early stages, AIatWork proved that AI can free time for our strategic priorities.”

How has AIatWork helped your company stay ahead of competitors or win new business?

“It’s early days, but AIatWork is already helping us show partners and stakeholders that ALDA is embracing innovation and ready to deliver faster, smarter services.”

How has AIatWork changed how you think about upskilling or reskilling your people?

“At ALDA, we are always focused on upskilling our people, and AIatWork is helping us add practical AI skills to boost efficiency and innovation from within.”

Where do you see your company with AI in 12–24 months, and how does AIatWork fit into that journey?

“In 12–24 months, we want ALDA to be a leader in using AI in the civic sector. AIatWork is the first step, giving our team the skills and confidence to integrate AI into everyday work and focus more on impact rather than routine tasks.”

What’s been the most surprising, inspiring, or “aha” moment your team has had inside AIatWork so far?

“An example of our ‘aha’ moments in AIatWork was starting to use Google NotebookLM and seeing how it can instantly summarize long reports, organize information, and even generate insights and presentations. It showed us how AI can simplify routine work and free up time for more impactful tasks.”

ALDA’s journey is proof that AI isn’t just for big corporations or tech companies—it’s for every mission-driven organization looking to amplify its impact. With just 8 people actively involved today, they are already unlocking new ways to serve communities better, faster, and smarter.

👉 Schedule a call today and start your company’s AI transformation.