Is Your Data Actually AI-Ready?

Most companies think they’re AI-ready. Unfortunately, they’re not even close. In the latest Enterprise Times podcast, Ian Murphy sits down with Dave Shumann, Chief Data Officer at Precisely, to expose the brutal truth around your AI projects.

If your data isn’t clean, governed, and connected, your AI is just expensive theatre.

Shuman doesn’t sugarcoat it. “It’s not sexy,” he admits, but it’s non-negotiable. He’s spent years in the trenches, building data pipelines, scaling teams, and wrestling with the “garbage in, garbage out” reality that plagues enterprises. From client-server chaos to today’s SaaS sprawl, he’s seen how data silos cripple innovation. Now he is seeing AI built on shaky foundations failing before it even launches.

The real breakthrough? Companies that win aren’t the ones chasing the flashiest models. They are the ones who’ve mastered data maturity. That means quality, governance, and architecture that can support enterprise-scale AI. “You have to be able to combine data in a reasonable fashion,” Shuman says. That requires context, not just code.

He’s blunt: “It should be table stakes, but it’s far from that.” For anyone building AI, deploying LLMs, or scaling analytics, this conversation is essential. No fluff. No hype. Just hard-won lessons from someone who’s done it.

Listen now to learn:

• Why “data prep” isn’t a phase — it’s the foundation
• How to avoid building AI on sand
• What separates AI-ready companies from the rest

If you’re serious about AI, you can’t afford to skip this. Your data isn’t just fuel, it’s your future. Don’t let it burn out before you even take off.

Where can I get it?

You can listen to the podcast by clicking on the player below. Alternatively, click on any of the podcast services below and go to the Enterprise Times podcast page.

 

 

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