Getting these operations right is crucial if you want your AI implementation to be successful in the long term. The larger and more accurate your pool of data, the better your AI outputs and analyses will be.
Creating a comprehensive infrastructure is essential to ensuring you’re collecting accurate data, storing it compliantly and processing it in such ways that AI systems are empowered to deliver useful information, insights and predictions. A strong data infrastructure enables businesses to harness the power of AI and make data-driven decisions, move more quickly than the competition and gain a competitive edge in the market. I will guide you through the three key steps involved in building a robust data infrastructure.
Data collection and integration
AI relies on a large amount of high-quality data, and the more accurate and complete your data is, the better the AI output will be. That means one of the first steps in your AI implementation roadmap is to establish an effective data collection process. Your process should identify relevant data sources and define your data types. Then, once you have this process in place, selecting the right integration tools will set you in good stead for successful AI implementation.
A good place to start is by looking at all the different entry points you have available for data collection. This might be email newsletters, social media adverts, in-person events, sales or other user interactions and metadata sources. Take stock of all the different data types you collect and how each can be used – whether it’s to give you better insight, improve your customer journey, increase your personalisation or encourage sales.
All this data then needs to be integrated from its various sources into an infrastructure that can sort and learn from it.
Data storage and management
That infrastructure needs to be able to store all the collected data securely. Security and accessibility are critical factors in building a comprehensive data infrastructure. Choosing the right storage system, defining data retention policies, and implementing data backup and recovery procedures are essential steps in ensuring both the integrity and availability of your data.
This may be cloud or physical server storage – it will depend on your situation as to which is right for you. There’s a tendency to think of physical, on-site storage (known as local storage) as the more secure option but this isn’t necessarily the case.
Secure cloud storage with well-defined access controls and regular backup protocols can ensure the security of your data without the responsibility of managing and maintaining the network, servers and infrastructure. Whatever data storage option you choose must be reliable, scalable and efficient.
Data processing and analysis
The timely and accurate processing and analysis of data is key to unlocking the full potential of AI. This step enables businesses to make data-driven decisions and improve the accuracy of predictive models. Selecting the right processing and analysis tools, defining data-processing workflows and performing data quality checks are pivotal in this process.
By following these concrete actions and leveraging relevant examples of best practice, your business can build a comprehensive data infrastructure that forms the backbone of successful AI implementation. Embracing change and innovation in this digital age is vital; with the right strategy and tools, your business can seize the opportunities provided by AI and position itself as a leader in your industry. The journey towards AI-powered success begins with a solid data infrastructure – the foundation for the transformation that lies ahead.
