As part of Customer Centricity Month 2024, Susannah Matschke, Head of UK Data & AI Consulting – Strategy & Growth at Sopra Steria Next delivered a session which emphasised the critical need for organisations to address poor-quality data before embarking on AI projects to achieve their desired return on investment.
Building a strong foundation for AI success
Addressing the critical role of data quality, organisations must lay the groundwork for successful AI initiatives to maximise their return on investment. With research revealing that nearly 80% of AI projects fail due to poor data, the importance of addressing data quality before beginning AI projects cannot be overstated.
The human connection behind data
At its core, data is a reflection of human behaviour — capturing wants, needs, and actions. Every purchase, interaction, and communication generates valuable information. Recognising this human element is vital because without reliable data, there is no AI. Organisations must prioritise developing high-quality datasets as a foundation for building robust and effective AI solutions.
Additionally, training AI models requires vast amounts of data to teach the systems to predict, build relationships, and refine algorithms. Without a sufficient volume of well-curated data, AI models cannot achieve the precision and accuracy businesses need to meet their goals.
Infrastructure as a key enabler
Beyond data, the infrastructure supporting AI projects is equally critical. Organisations must ensure their technology stack, cloud systems, security policies, and governance frameworks are up to the task. Neglecting these foundational elements can increase the risk of project failure.
The successful adoption of AI also depends on a company’s ability to drive cultural change and learning. Employees need to feel confident using new tools, understand their purpose, and see the value they bring. This isn’t just about technology—it’s a business-wide initiative that requires alignment between technology, people, and processes.
A user centric approach to AI
AI initiatives must address real business problems and align with organisational culture. Focusing on user needs—whether internal or external—is critical to ensuring AI systems deliver meaningful benefits. By tailoring solutions to the challenges employees and customers face, businesses can create tools that make tasks easier and jobs more rewarding.
Key takeaways for AI readiness
- Data quality is non-negotiable: Poor-quality data limits the scope of what AI can achieve. Investing in high-quality data today ensures long-term success.
- AI must solve real problems: AI initiatives should align with clear business goals and organisational culture, avoiding the trap of remaining stuck in proof-of-concept stages.
- Not all possibilities are practical: While the potential of AI is vast, organisations should focus on solutions that are both sensible and useful.
- Understand user needs: Find out what users—employees or customers—need to improve their lives and performance.
- Plan for cultural change: Successful AI implementation involves more than technology; it requires organisations to support employees through education, change management, and clear communication of AI’s value.
By prioritising data quality, infrastructure readiness, user-centric solutions, and cultural alignment, organisations can avoid common pitfalls and position themselves to succeed with AI. These principles form the cornerstone of any effective AI adoption strategy, ensuring it delivers meaningful value and lasting impact.
If you missed this talk, you can watch ‘Shaping the future with data AI and customer centricity’ on our YouTube Channel as part of our Customer Centricity Month 2024 playlist, where you can also watch the rest of the talks from the event.
