The CDO (Chief Digital Officer): Does Your SME Need One?

An analysis of the CDO role and alternatives for SMEs that don't have the budget to hire one.

• Why train your teams in AI now
• Essential AI skills by role
• The 90-day training plan
• Funding AI training for your teams
• Recommended training platforms
• Measuring training ROI
• Conclusion

Why Train Your Teams in AI Now

The reasons are numerous and converging:

• Productivity: employees who are proficient with AI tools are on average 35% more productive on office tasks.
• Talent retention: employees want to work with modern tools. 67% of workers under 35 consider AI proficiency a key factor when choosing an employer.
• Competitiveness: your competitors are already training their teams. Every month you wait, the gap widens.
• Future-proofing: training today means preparing for the role changes of tomorrow.

Essential AI Skills by Role

For executives

• Understanding the possibilities and limitations of AI
• Evaluating an AI business case
• Identifying strategic use cases
• Leading an AI project

For managers

• Using AI assistants (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) on a daily basis
• Automating team workflows
• Analyzing performance data with AI
• Managing AI-related change

For employees

• Prompt engineering: communicating effectively with AI
• Using AI tools specific to their field
• Detecting AI errors and biases
• Protecting sensitive data

The 90-Day Training Plan

• Introduction to AI and its business applications
• Demonstration of available tools
• Addressing concerns and questions

• Getting started with generative AI assistants
• Basic prompt engineering
• Integration into existing workflows
• Practical exercises based on real company use cases

• Automation with no-code tools
• Data analysis with AI
• Building automated workflows
• Team projects

• Individual automation projects
• Sharing best practices
• Setting up an AI monitoring routine
• Continuous learning plan

Funding AI Training for Your Teams

Several funding options are available for SMEs:

• OPCO: your industry training fund covers certified AI training programs. Average budget of €1,500 to €5,000 per employee.
• CPF: your employees can use their Personal Training Account (Compte Personnel de Formation) toward AI certifications.
• FNE-Formation: a government scheme covering up to 70% of costs for SMEs undergoing transformation.
• France Num: digital vouchers worth €500 to €6,500 for digital training.
• BPI France: funded diagnostics and support for AI transformation.

Recommended Training Platforms

• OpenClassrooms: accessible, French-language AI courses with certification
• Coursera / Google AI: in-depth training, often free
• Simplon: intensive, inclusive bootcamps
• Les Geeks des Chiffres: data and AI training tailored to SMEs

Measuring Training ROI

To justify the investment, track the following:

• Time saved per employee per week on automated tasks
• Adoption rate of AI tools after training
• Number of processes automated by trained teams
• Employee satisfaction (survey before and after)
• Business impact: revenue growth, error reduction, improved customer service

Go further: check out our AI Training for Your Teams: Complete Guide for SMEs, which covers the topic in full.

Conclusion

Training your teams in AI is not an expense — it's an investment with measurable ROI within the first few weeks. SMEs that invest in AI training today are building the capabilities that will drive their success tomorrow.