A manufacturing company is implementing an AI system to optimize production schedules.

The best answer is D. Implement a robust data validation and correction process . In PMI-CPMAI, data understanding and data preparation require the team to evaluate training data requirements, validate data quality, perform data cleansing and enhancement, and make go/no-go decisions based on whether the data is fit for model development. When discrepancies are detected during collection, the first priority is to validate the data, identify the source of the inconsistency, and correct or isolate bad records before moving further into integration or modeling.

Option A may eventually be necessary, especially when combining sensor, log, and database sources, but harmonizing formats should not come before confirming whether the sensor data is accurate and reliable. Option B is not a first-step governance response and does not directly address the quality issue. Option C could be appropriate only if the validation process shows that the sensors themselves are faulty; replacing hardware before confirming the root cause would be premature. PMI’s methodology consistently stresses data quality validation and cleansing as foundational activities in AI projects. Since the scenario explicitly mentions discrepancies, the most appropriate first action is to validate and correct the data so later integration and model-building decisions are based on trustworthy inputs.