Data Integration
Almost always, and usually earlier than expected — connecting the systems that hold the data is normally more of the work than the AI itself.
Integration connects the systems holding the data an AI layer needs. It is the least glamorous part of an AI programme and reliably the largest, because every source has its own access model, format, and idea of what current means.
Scoping this honestly at the start is the single best predictor of whether a timeline survives.
What the work includes
- Connectivity to source systems, including the ones without good APIs
- Normalization so downstream consumers see consistent shapes
- Incremental sync with handling for deletions and late-arriving changes
- Access model preserved through the integration rather than flattened