According to a 2018 NewVantage Partners survey, executives now see a direct correlation between big data capabilities and AI initiatives. For the first time, large corporations report having direct access to meaningful volumes and sources of data that can feed AI algorithms to produce a range of business benefits from real-time consumer credit approval to new product offers.

Managers may wonder what sets AI apart from all the other highly touted technologies that may (or may not) live up to their hype. The key difference: We now have sufficient processing power to make good on AI’s promise.

As organizations explore how software robots — or bots — can help automate administrative tasks and decisions, it pays to keep in mind some of the risks that come with the territory.

A recent data and analytics survey sheds light on what large organizations are actually doing with big data initiatives. The survey of nearly 100 senior executives from Fortune 1000 companies found that executives are reporting anincreasing commitment to big data projects. As well, most executives, 70%, are looking to improve their “time to answer” with big data.

In theory, IT innovation is important — except it’s often not a priority in company budgets.

Although IT portfolio management has been a best practice for some time now, many companies are still getting returns from IT investments that are below their potential. New studies show that a measurable premium can be gained by implementing a set of interlocking business practices and processes, collectively called “IT savvy.”

Most organizations struggle to demonstrate business gains from investments in information technology. New research reveals how to meet the challenges of IT portfolio management to deliver tangible results.

For managers seeking to abandon follow-the-pack IT investment, the author offers the example of Inditex Group, a clothing manufacturer in northwestern Spain, best known for its Zara stores. Inditex demonstrates that a company can select, adopt and leverage IT while spending very little on it. He lays out five general principles that underlie Inditex”s remarkable success with targeted technology spending.