Pace of AI Adoption Depends on Organizational Culture — Stibo Systems Chief Product Officer

(US & Canada) Neda Nia, Chief Product Officer at Stibo Systems, speaks with Mark Johnson, Chief Growth Officer at CoStrategix, in a video interview about the company, her journey, and how AI fits in the master data management landscape.

Stibo Systems is a privately held subsidiary of the Stibo A/S group headquartered in Aarhus, Denmark. Stibo Systems’ enterprise master data management solutions bring disconnected data sources together.

The legacy of Stibo Systems spans across two centuries, says Nia, and what started in 1794 as a print company later evolved into a catalog company and is now a cutting-edge data management solution.

Speaking of her role, she states that even though her title says Chief Product Officer, she enjoys association with everything that brings value to the customers. Additionally, Nia says that the company's prime service category is master data management.

Also referred to as unified or centralized data management, Stibo helps enterprise customers manage various data domains, including product, customer, location, or supplier data.

Further, Nia states that by working with different industries, the organization ensures that their data is accurate, valid, consistent, complete, and unique through its governed master data management process.

Delving deeper into the process, she shares that it includes anything from acquiring data from multiple sources to managing data operational tasks. Nia mentions that Stibo Systems considers data as a critical asset that needs to flow, and it enables that data to flow through the value chain for business use.

The organization plays a massive role in the overall data ecosystem, says Nia, as it complements all the data tools that companies deal with. The focus is also on reducing liabilities, which may arise as a side effect of having bad-quality data in the ecosystem.

Shedding light on her journey, Nia states that she has a degree in linguistics, and her first job was as a receptionist. Next, she was exposed to warehouse management and other technical systems.

Then, Nia went back to school and studied computer science with a flavor of business administration, and that shaped her path. The key, she says, is to do what one does well, and the path to mastery will create fulfillment along the way.

When asked how AI fits into the master data landscape, Nia reflects on the challenges of AI adoption. One of the challenges includes getting funding for AI projects because organizational leaders need to forecast the cost and ensure an actual ROI for AI adoption.

According to her, the best way to address this challenge is to assess the existing business strategy and objectives to evaluate the role of AI in achieving those objectives. For instance, AI can help with automation and drive efficiency, so organizations can take one of these objectives and create a business plan by leveraging AI and eventually get AI adoption.

The next challenge with AI is its speed. Nia believes that it could also give many leaders a chance to reflect on processes, products, and people to see if they can adapt to the new world.

In addition, she opines that the speed of AI adoption depends on the organizational culture, which stands on foundational elements such as data. It boils down to having the right quality data to start the journey, and leaders must prepare their organizational mindset and processes to adapt to speed.

In conclusion, Nia states that she is open to connecting with people in the product or data space if they want to brainstorm ideas. Also, she recommends data enthusiasts visit Stibo System’s website to learn more about the company’s approach to master data management.

CDO Magazine appreciates Neda Nia for sharing her insights with our global community.