For AI projects the code and systems don’t matter as much as the data.

CPMAI emphasizes that data is only as valuable as the team’s ability to manage, prepare, and harness it effectively. In Phase I: Business Understanding, one of the first tasks under Assess Situation is an “AI Skills Assessment,” which ensures that the project team has the right mix of experience and tooling expertise to handle data- intensive AI work. Without skilled data engineers and AI practitioners, even the largest datasets cannot be transformed into business value.

The Workbook’s Task Group: Assess Situation in Phase I explicitly calls out “AI Skills Assessment” alongside resource and tooling considerations, highlighting that team capability is a foundational requirement for any data-centric initiative.

Furthermore, in Domain IV: Data for AI of the CPMAI Exam Content Outline, managing data fundamentals and Big Data concepts hinges on having personnel who can “apply Big Data approaches to enhance AI capabilities”, which presupposes the presence of experienced data professionals.

Thus, the single most critical factor is ensuring you have team members with the right experience and tool expertise to handle and derive value from massive volumes of data.