Agencies looking to realize AI’s potential often buy AI technology before understanding the problem it would fix. It’s like buying a hammer and then looking for the nail. But agencies also can make a more fundamental mistake: underestimating their need for data readiness. Sometimes the agency data is siloed and inaccessible; sometimes it’s poorly governed. At times, institutional knowledge was never written down.
Costly mistakes can be avoided downstream by starting with a Data Readiness Assessment. An assessment examines how an agency’s data is stored, who can access it, and how it’s governed. The findings shape a roadmap tailored to that agency, showing where to start and how to begin getting real value from its data. Not all agencies take the same path, but an integrated data platform is often part of the solution. The key is starting with the challenges to be solved, not with the technology.
“When you approach AI that way, you’re not just adopting AI because it’s the latest buzzword or available tool, but instead you have this opportunity to transform the day-to-day of the organization,” said Brady Key, Chief Technology Officer at RS21. “For many agencies, that keeps human competence in the loop.”
In this video interview, Key discusses the challenges of AI adoption and how data readiness can transform AI implementation. Topics include:
- Why agencies struggle to prepare their data for AI
- Specific ways that agencies can achieve data readiness
- Three questions agencies should ask themselves before pursuing an AI project