• Written by Azhar Aliyar, Director

A procurement manager sits in a meeting with the executive leadership team, discussing the deployment of AsscherAi, an enterprise AI platform that enables real-time querying of the organisation's data. As they consider the implications of this technology, they must address several critical questions regarding security and privacy, particularly in relation to the sensitive data that executive leadership relies on.

Processing and storage of data

The first question to settle is where the data will be processed and stored, and whether the system will train on any of this data. This is crucial because it determines the level of access and control the organisation has over its sensitive information. Most people get wrong the idea that data processing and storage are trivial matters that can be left to the vendor, but this is a mistake. The organisation must explicitly agree on these terms in writing before deployment.

A closer examination of the purchase order table and the general ledger reveals that these systems contain sensitive information that requires careful handling. The procurement manager must ensure that the vendor provides a clear explanation of how data will be processed, stored, and protected.

Prompt injection as a data-boundary problem

Prompt injection is a potential issue that arises when the system is fed malicious or unauthorised input, which can compromise the security of the data. This is essentially a data-boundary problem, where the system's ability to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate input is compromised. The executive leadership team must consider how to mitigate this risk and ensure that the system is designed with robust security measures to prevent such incidents.

The category manager, who is responsible for comparing suppliers, must work closely with the procurement manager to ensure that the vendor provides a secure and reliable system. This includes implementing measures to prevent prompt injection and ensuring that the system is regularly updated and patched.

Dependent data for executive leadership

The executive leadership team relies on a range of data to inform their decisions, including consolidated financials, operational KPIs, sales performance, and headcount. This data is critical to the organisation's success, and the procurement manager must ensure that the system is designed to handle this data securely and efficiently. The system must be able to provide real-time insights and answers to complex questions, without compromising the security of the data.

A shift supervisor, who is responsible for checking the maintenance log, may also need to access this data to inform their decisions. The system must be designed to provide role-based access control, ensuring that each user only has access to the data they need to perform their job functions.

Impact on cross-functional questions and reporting

The deployment of AsscherAi will change the way the organisation answers cross-functional questions, which previously may have been difficult or impossible to answer. The system will provide a single source of truth, enabling each function to report its own version of a figure, without conflicting with other departments. This will improve decision-making and reduce the risk of errors.

For example, the executive leadership team may ask a question about the organisation's sales performance, which requires input from multiple departments. The system will provide a real-time answer, drawing on data from the sales, marketing, and finance departments. This will enable the team to make informed decisions, without having to rely on manual reporting or data aggregation.

Measuring success

The success of the AsscherAi deployment will be measured by several key metrics, including decision latency, actions of the form "come back with numbers", and definition conflicts resolved. Decision latency refers to the time it takes for the organisation to make a decision, which should be reduced with the deployment of the system. Actions of the form "come back with numbers" refer to the ability of the system to provide real-time insights and answers to complex questions. Definition conflicts resolved refer to the ability of the system to provide a single source of truth, eliminating conflicts between different departments.

For more information on how AsscherAi can support executive and strategic leadership, please contact us. The procurement manager and the executive leadership team must work closely together to ensure that the system is deployed successfully and that the organisation realises the full benefits of the technology.

Limitations and wrong choices

AsscherAi is not a solution for every organisation, and there are certain scenarios where it may not be the best choice. For example, organisations with very small datasets or simple reporting requirements may not need the full functionality of the system. In these cases, a simpler solution may be more appropriate. Additionally, organisations with highly sensitive or regulated data may need to consider additional security measures or alternative solutions.

Before deploying AsscherAi, the organisation should carefully consider its specific needs and requirements. If you have any questions or concerns about the deployment of AsscherAi, please contact us to discuss your options in more detail.