Strategies for Extracting Business Value from Data and AI Investments

At Dreamforce 2025, a panel discussion at the Atrium Lounge featured data and AI leaders addressing how enterprises can convert data and AI investments into tangible business value. The session delved into strategies for data unification, driving actionable intelligence, and maximizing AI potential within the Salesforce ecosystem.

Mitch Zink highlighted the futility of data collection without clear objectives, stating that data is valuable only when it drives insights and actions that deliver business value. The Atrium team advised starting with ROI, identifying key outcomes, and determining necessary data to achieve them.

Patrick Scherder discussed the challenge of fragmented data across Salesforce, enterprise data warehouses, and custom systems, emphasizing the need for data unification and harmonization. An example from the financial sector illustrated how integrating website engagement data with CRM insights revealed significant cross-sell opportunities.

Paul Harmon explained how organizations can progress beyond traditional dashboards to actionable intelligence. Atrium assists clients in building predictive models and AI-driven workflows within Salesforce, enabling seamless follow-up actions like automated outreach and personalized recommendations.

As AI enthusiasm grows, the panel warned against starting without a strategic foundation. They recommended beginning with small, focused use cases where AI can provide measurable, low-risk wins, reducing risk and building trust and alignment.

Panelists reminded organizations of the valuable data assets they already possess, emphasizing that reframing existing data as a strategic asset can accelerate value without major infrastructure changes. Atrium's panel underscored that true value from data and AI comes from strategic alignment, thoughtful design, and disciplined execution.