Data Engagement vs. AI Budget

Data Engagement Matters More Than AI Budget

By Scott Schang
Every business operates in a data-rich environment. However, executives find themselves struggling: overwhelmed by information but lacking actionable insights. Despite investments in business intelligence platforms, analytics tools, and AI dashboards, many organizations can’t translate data into a competitive advantage.

The Failure of Traditional Business Intelligence

Traditional business intelligence often fails. Most BI tools operate within industry feedback loops, tracking market trends and metrics that everyone else is already tracking. If competitors have the same reports and benchmarks, gaining an edge is difficult, leading to businesses merely keeping pace.

The higher you rise in an organization, the fewer people there are to challenge your ideas. This isolation creates blind spots, where strategic decisions are made without rigorously testing ideas or exploring alternative strategies. In today’s market, blind spots can quickly become threats.

The Missed Opportunity of AI

Businesses underestimate AI’s potential, often treating it as a digital assistant for fetching reports. They miss its capacity to be a strategic co-creator that challenges assumptions and helps executives think effectively. AI's power lies in helping you ask the right questions and enhancing decision-making.

A critical flaw in business intelligence is over-reliance on curated feedback. Basing strategy on Google reviews and industry sentiment reports can create an illusion of success because these sources are heavily filtered. Real consumer conversations on platforms like Reddit reveal unmet needs shaping borrower expectations. Companies that mine these insights gain a clearer view of the market's future.

Execution Problems and AI as a Co-Creator

The core challenge isn’t a data problem but an execution problem. Companies lack systems to translate information into strategic moves. Market leaders can identify signals in the noise, spotting competitive weaknesses and predicting risks using AI.

When executives aren’t getting the insights they need, they invest in BI software or rely on internal experts. However, more BI tools don’t create insights; people do. Relying on internal expertise creates an echo chamber. Using AI merely for automation is a missed opportunity.

The biggest misuse of AI is treating it like a search engine rather than a co-creator for exploring strategic directions. The businesses that will thrive are those that transform how they engage with information, leveraging AI as a companion for strategic decision-making and translating insights into competitive moves. The question is whether that intelligence is helping you think differently and move faster.

Scott Schang is a mortgage originator and owner of Find My Way Home. He has been a mortgage originator since 1998 and started his first consumer-direct website in 2007 to help provide answers for online consumers with questions about qualifying for a mortgage after the 2008 real estate crash. Find out more at findmywayhome.com. P.O. Box 692Bothell, WA 98041-0692(800) 297-6061