Business Transformation Around AI & Data – Managing Run the Business and Change the Business

The Opportunity

Being extended the privilege of doing a workshop on “Project and Transformation Management Around Artificial Intelligence” held at Amity University (https://www.amity.edu/) to a diverse group of stakeholders, I came away with many lessons and it seems, a satisfied audience - A Day of Insightful Conversations on AI and Transformation Management (https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7288090921525473281/) summarises some aspects with the opportunity included a kick-off session, followed by a 90-minute townhall on project management with trends in data and AI. After the townhall, with a range of conversations and over lunch, a roundtable for 3-hours encompassing a poster session, group collaboration, and shared presentations on project management was completed. A short closure was included for free-flowing questions and shared experiences.

Beyond the well-received experience and hearing from a diverse group who affirmed common needs and experiences, one the many take outs relates to how artificial intelligence is driving the need for project management skills in the delivery of projects, the business management of projects, and the integration of project outcomes within operations. Confirmation of this need across business and organisations, the demand seen in Australia, and other countries (see Related Posts), was enlightening.

The Takeout

In convening these sessions around project and transformation management occurring in response to business changes around artificial intelligence and data, I learned much, with many aspects and opinions being affirmed from others. Aspects included, but not limited to:

• Run the Business vs Change the Business – The need to keep business running while making changes. Recognition that existing business issues require more than the implementation of AI to address. Adding AI can lead to an intensification of issues, especially at scale, with greater remediation and exceptions management required.
• Project Expertise – AI is driving the both the demand for as well as increased levels of experience and maturity in project management skills and expertise. This is seen in the delivery of projects, across the varying types, sizes, scales, and complexity. The expertise is also needed for those establishing, delivering, integrating, and ongoing operations from a project.
• Business Operations – As AI brings more change the business activities, there is a need to still the run business. These competition in priorities sees the need for time away from business, concurrency of time allocated, resourcing substitutions, and also variations in the required skill mixes.
• Complexity – The complexity of the projects, and therefore the risk is increasing. While this can be used for prioritisation, the complexity can also bring caution, but an oversimplification with weaker outcomes.
• Building Capacity and Capability – Projects are increasingly required to build the capacity and capability for delivery as part of a project.
• Changing Related Roles – AI is bringing changes to roles like enterprise architecture which projects depend upon. The rate of changes in these roles and the ability to respond is impacting projects.
• Testing – AI is also bringing changes to the need for, duration of, extent of, types of, and the role of testing. The need for benchmark testing, having testing drive requirements, and testing forming the basis of operations and readiness brings changes required across business to support projects.
• Governance – Projects have an increasing dependency upon the frameworks for ai governance and data governance and having these frameworks applied to a consistent level across the business. The evolving nature of governance and related assurance impacts bot the project delivery and the business impact management.
• Outcomes Management – The business impacts and outcomes management from data and AI projects can be identified and measures for management implemented, though some of the outcomes and impacts may be less predictable. This requires a revised business response and remediation, which may be a scope change for a project.

One of the main take outs was the commonality across businesses and organisations being experienced and how the respective capacity and capability development is accommodated. Particularly the required educational development and the inclusion within busy work requirements and academic curriculum.

Presentations

The townhall presentation is available at (https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/keithsherringham_managing-run-the-business-change-the-business-activity-7302073699862487042-OrG8?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAC607IBo_tDTE-6Czc_rXqTjMxLZqFzlzw), with others being available on request. A full suite of slides is made available, though the use of the slides varied in session according to need and conversation.

Thank You

Thank you to Dr. Balvinder Shukal, Dr. Manoj Kumar Pandey, Dr. Natisha Hasteer, and Dr. Vangmayee Sharda, as well as the staff and students who participated.

Related Posts

• Amity University, Greater Noida Campus - A Day of Insightful Conversations on AI and Transformation Management (https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7288090921525473281/)
• KIET Group of Institutions – Aspects of Data and Artificial Intelligence within Business (https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7284558006623576064/)
• Amity University, Greater Noida Campus - Honored to be a part of Confluence 2025 (https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7288048741532504067/)
• Amity University, Greater Noida Campus - Honored to Serve as an Anchor at Confluence 2025! (https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/gaurav-tripathi-07188932b_confluence2025-publicspeaking-eventanchoring-activity-7286321466982170624-lO1h/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios)
• Amity University, Greater Noida Campus - CSE ASET UUUP (https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7292414142546690048/)