Empowering the AI-enabled workforce with data

Strategies for building a unified data foundation for AI

News By Alan Grogan published 22 August 2024

With its capabilities for code and content creation, and tools like Copilot already transforming the way people work, generative AI is helping organizations to accomplish more with their data and systems than ever before to deliver real value.

At the core of AI-first operations lies data. It isn't just a strategic advantage anymore – data has become a necessity for carving a path to AI success and securing a lasting competitive edge. Almost all (94%) business leaders recognize the need to invest in data platforms to realize their AI ambitions and scale them across their businesses, yet a staggering 63% still express a lack of complete trust in the data their company uses today.

Strengthening data foundations and equipping employees with the necessary skills to leverage these insights should be a priority for any business hoping to reap the benefits of this technology. However, navigating this path can be daunting.

Alan Grogan

Leads the Microsoft Data business across Avanade and Accenture.

Prioritizing investment in data platforms

The reality is that many businesses face a vast and fragmented data landscape. Inconsistent information residing in disparate silos renders it unusable for AI, which thrives on clean, unified datasets. Getting clean, well-maintained data is a significant task and investment.

AI-centric transformation isn’t just about the technology, meaning there’s still opportunity to transform operating models with existing IT investments and by reimagining processes, products and services with AI to unlock new business value. But ultimately, leaders must prioritize investments into data platforms if they hope to achieve both near-term and long-term value from AI.

People-centricity is key

Data platforms manage enterprise data in one unified foundation to create a single source of truth. A strong data platform complemented by employees’ understanding of prompt engineering and prompt refinements increases the level of trust in the outputs of AI and will help organizations harness value faster.

Making AI accessible is key to this. Organizations need to place people at the center of their AI journey, equipping the workforce with the skills to access, interpret, and leverage data effectively. This fosters a culture of data-driven decision-making, where insights inform every step of the business process.

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