You have heard that everyone right now is adopting AI and if you don’t get on board you will get left behind.

If they are adopting AI without a firm foundation then it is the same as it always was – the data does not match the reality of the business, and decision makers do not know why.

You still have the same basic questions – how can AI help us increase revenue? how can AI help us reduce cost?

Let’s say every time you posted a sales invoice, the product splits did not end up in the accounts and it just posted one lump sum on your P&L, would you be able to tell me your top product? No, of course not.

AI + Bad data: Now let’s imagine you added AI with that as the foundation, if you have seen anything of the tools out there, they are currently geared to give you an answer, whether or not there is available data, so it is even worse than flying blind, it is flying with a false sense of security.

If you do have the basics right, then you can add in AI. We have worked with clients on implementing these tools to help drive their business and there are definitely use cases for them. These use cases are projects in and of their selves and have to be carefully designed, implemented and monitored to ensure they keep telling you the truth about your business in the ways you are expecting.

AI as it stands currently does not understand business logic as a whole, there is currently no quick fix to using your data without putting the foundations in place first. AI is a lot more useful in streamlining business operations and processes, which can be implemented once you understand what business operations and processes need streamlining, and which parts of the business they impact, which you understand from having the data to make those decisions.

It may be exciting to say you are doing something with AI, but isn’t it better to do something that works?