115 VIEWPOINT Creating durable AI value through data Organisations that get their data foundation right today will realise lasting value from AI tomorrow Artificial intelligence has moved beyond pilots and proof-of-concepts. Organisations are now looking at copilots, agents and automation as practical ways to improve productivity, reduce manual work and make faster decisions. That is the right direction, but it also brings a simple truth into focus: AI will only be as valuable as the business data behind it. Many companies are excited about what AI can do, and I think they should be. But AI cannot fix years of disconnected systems, inconsistent processes or incomplete information on its own. If the data is split across enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management, spreadsheets and departmental applications, the AI experience will reflect that fragmentation. The output may be faster, but it will not necessarily be better. That is why data modernisation has to be part of the AI conversation from the beginning. The goal is not just to launch a new tool. The goal is to create a connected platform where financial, operational and customer information can move through the business in a consistent, trusted way. When that foundation is in place, AI can help people find answers faster, identify patterns earlier and make decisions with more confidence. For many organisations, this starts with the core business system. At Velosio, we see ERP migrations as data transformation projects, not simply software upgrades. We help organisations move years of operational and financial history into a modern cloud environment – such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 and cloud platform services – to unlock data-driven insights. Done well, that work also reduces duplication, improves governance, standardises processes and creates a cleaner path for AI adoption. That foundation matters because employees will not trust AI recommendations if they do not trust the information behind them. Leaders will not scale AI initiatives if the outcomes are inconsistent. Data quality, governance and security are not side issues; they are what make AI sustainable. Trust is the real currency of AI adoption. People need to know the recommendations they receive are based on accurate, current and governed data. Without that confidence, even the most advanced AI tools become another source to question instead of a capability to rely on. The next phase of AI will not be defined by who deploys the most agents. It will be defined by who builds the strongest operating foundation for intelligence to work. AI is not an end state, but an accelerator. Data is what determines how far, and how fast, an organisation can go. “Trust is the real currency of AI adoption. People need to know the recommendations they receive are based on accurate, current and governed data” Keith Goedde is chief product officer at Velosio
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