There’s plenty of discussion around AI strategies, but the real question is whether you can have an AI strategy without a solid data strategy?
In this piece, we'll explore the value of bridging the gap between a data and AI strategy and how a well-defined strategy can help organisations deploy AI successfully and responsibly with the most benefit.
Setting up your Data & AI Strategy
Some argue that AI strategy should be built on a well-defined data strategy as data is needed to make AI work, while others see AI strategy as encompassing data needs within it. In fact, the more important sentiment is understanding that both need to be supported by your organisational goals.
Whether it’s driving efficiency, enhancing decision-making, or freeing up resources for high-value work, a data and AI strategy must be grounded in your goals and challenges, incorporating practical actions that deliver value to your business, organisation or, in the case of local authorities, your residence.
When you’re defining your Data and AI strategy,using a data-driven framework can really help. Transform recommends a top-down,bottom-up approach that teases out the practical and tangible actions that need to take place, keeping your goals and strategies in mind by asking what you’re trying to achieve. Are you trying to attract new customers, deliver a better user experience, improve decision making etc?
Your answers will more easily define what the bottom-up approach needs to achieve across the foundational levels, namely data and technology. Moving up a level, you’ll need to work on the enablers – People, Process, Systems and AI - and from there, you can narrow down what the required changes are that need to happen to deliver the desired benefits.
Our framework will help you identify and prioritise the right use-cases for tech, data & AI for value-driven outcomes.
It's worth noting that, when you’re building your data and AI strategy, in addition to traditional data, people, process and technology components, you need to consider that outcomes need to be compliant and adhere to known regulatory and security requirements.
The benefits of having a Data and AI strategy
A good data and AI strategy, typically fit nicely within efficiency and effective initiatives:
- Making faster, better decisions: like when we helped Historical Royal Palaces write a digital and data strategy that allowed them to be bolder when bringing people to palaces and palaces to people.
- Using AI to do repeatable, mundane tasks, freeing up resource time to do more valuable work: like the work we did with the Department for Education, helping them to save schools £36m per year through better procurement.
Don’t forget to measure your success!
The other component (often forgotten) is defining success and outlining the measurement framework for your data and AI strategy. What are you going to measure? How are you going to measure it? What limitations exist today and what new variables will you need to predict your success?
Defining what success looks like and establishing a measurement framework ensures that results aren’t just theoretical but tied to real gains: after all you don’t want to miss the opportunity to tell your stakeholders that “this initiative saved X% time or Y£ or delivered Z% increase in engagement because our approach made us faster to serve”.
Unsure of where to start?
At Transform, there are a variety of ways we can partner with you to support you along your journey, especially with our flexible and modular approach.
- We understand that you can’t do everything at once, so if you don’t know where to start: our three step Data & AI discovery helps you to cut through the hype, and go back to basics – understanding the impact of data and AI on your business, organisation or residence, identifying the gaps between your current state and your ambition.
- If you do not really understand data and AI: our AI Fundamentals 101 Academy give you access to our experience in a ½ day workshop, designed to get you thinking and upskilling in new areas.
- If you want to test & learn with minimal financial risk:our Data and AI Labs encourage experimentation with our diverse team, helping you and your people to understand the opportunities, the risks associated and how best to use data and AI to implement your ideas, with low upfront investment.
The bottom line? Everyone is talking about data and AI, but the real benefit is in the value they deliver for your people – making customer experiences better, being faster to serve, being more efficient in operational process.
Data readiness isn’t just about having data - it’s about making sure it serves a purpose. Without that clarity, an AI strategy is just an idea, not a driver of value. Transform can help - get in touch by email at transformation@TransformUK.com.