AI Success Starts in the COO’s Office— Here’s Why!

What Every COO Must Do to Turn AI from a Risk to an ROI Engine.

Author

Glenda Carnate
August 07, 2025

Read time: 2.5 minutes

Many executives see AI as a costly investment, but AI only delivers lasting value when approached strategically. True success requires more than just adopting new technologies.
According to a Gartner report, a staggering 85% of AI projects fail to deliver their intended business value.
The real difference between failure and success lies in foundational elements, establishing clear processes, using quality data, fostering strong leadership, and building AI understanding in your team. With these, AI becomes a true business transformation tool.

Here are five key truths that set successful AI projects apart:

1. AI Needs Solid Processes to Shine.

AI is most powerful when applied to well-designed workflows. If operations are messy, even the smartest algorithms will struggle.

AI Success Tip: First, refine and document your processes. Then use AI to enhance and scale what already works.

2. Good Data Powers Great AI.

Even the most advanced models rely on the quality of their inputs. Clean, relevant, and well-structured data is the fuel that drives meaningful results.

AI Success Tip: Use AI-powered data cleansing and observability tools before training models. This ensures you start with the strongest foundation possible.

3. AI Works Best With Strong Leadership.

AI isn’t here to replace leaders; it’s here to empower them. The best outcomes happen when AI insights and human judgment work together.

AI Success Tip: Build AI as a decision-support layer, providing leaders with actionable insights while keeping strategic decisions in human hands.

4. AI Literacy is a Competitive Advantage.

When the entire organization understands AI, adoption skyrockets... and so does impact. A well-informed team uses AI more effectively and more creatively.

AI Success Tip: Launch AI training sessions and cross-department workshops before and during deployment.

5. Progress Beats Perfection.

Waiting for a flawless AI system means missing out on opportunities. The leaders in AI are those who start small, learn quickly, and improve continuously.

AI Success Tip: Embrace agile AI development... deploy early, measure results, and iterate often.

Key Takeaways:

  • AI thrives when built on strong processes and clean data.

  • Leaders and AI should work in partnership, combining insights and experience.

  • Organization-wide AI literacy accelerates adoption and results.

  • Start small, learn fast, and keep improving for lasting success.

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