In today’s hyper-competitive digital economy, customer experience (CX) is the battleground on which Singaporean organisations win or lose. Whether you are a university attracting students, a bank engaging clients, or a retailer serving consumers, every interaction matters. Customers expect seamless, personalised, and friction-free journeys. Yet, despite billions of dollars invested in mobile apps, websites, and engagement platforms, too many businesses are still falling short.
The root cause is clear: bad data.
The Data Disconnect
A recent global survey of over 300 executives across industries revealed a striking misalignment within organisations. At the C-suite level, nearly half of leaders believe their company’s data is “excellent.” Yet, among directors and senior managers—the people interacting with customers daily—only 8% share this view. IT teams are more optimistic, with 70% rating their data as very good, but frontline business leaders remain unconvinced.
This disconnect is dangerous. Investment decisions are being made on an unrealistic perception of data quality. IT may believe the foundation is solid, while the business struggles with fragmented records, inconsistent formats, and customer frustration caused by disjointed systems. The result: friction-filled experiences that erode trust and loyalty.
Why AI Raises the Stakes
Artificial intelligence promises to redefine CX yet again. From the early days of the internet, through e-commerce, social media, and mobile apps, each wave of technology has reshaped customer expectations. Generative AI and autonomous agents are the next seismic shift.
Imagine an airline agent that proactively rebooks a passenger after a cancelled flight, retrieves their luggage, upgrades their seat, and issues compensation – all in real time, without human intervention. Or an insurance provider that tailors offers based on life events and behavioural signals detected across multiple data sources.
The potential is enormous. But AI is only as strong as the data it consumes. Feed it poor quality, fragmented, or non-compliant information, and the consequences range from embarrassing to catastrophic.
We’ve already seen high-profile failures. Zillow’s AI-driven home-buying experiment resulted in US$350 million in losses and a 25% workforce reduction. Australia’s “Robodebt” program an automated welfare debt recovery system based on mismatched datasets, caused widespread distress, led to billions in compensation payouts, and severely damaged public trust. These examples underline a critical truth: AI without trusted data is a liability, not an asset.
Master Data Management: The Foundation for Trusted AI
To unlock AI’s promise, enterprises must first solve the data challenge. This is where Master Data Management (MDM) comes in. At its core, MDM consolidates critical business information across customers, products, suppliers and locations into a single, trusted source of truth.
Instead of duplicate records scattered across CRMs, ERPs, and legacy systems, MDM applies intelligent matching, merging, and governance processes to create clean, consistent, and accurate data. Business and IT teams can then operate with confidence, knowing that decisions and AI models are powered by reliable information.
The business impact is tangible. One financial services company in Asia Pacific reported a 40% reduction in data processing time for AI model training, a 30% improvement in data quality, and millions in additional sales revenue, all after implementing MDM.
Beyond Compliance: Building Trust in Every Interaction
Singapore, like many markets, is rapidly strengthening its regulatory stance on AI and data governance. From privacy laws to ethical AI guidelines, compliance is non-negotiable. Yet beyond meeting regulations, trusted data enables organisations to exceed customer expectations.
Consider the airline example. With unified, governed data, an AI agent can identify a high-value customer whose outbound flight was delayed, detect that their baggage was lost, and respond with a proactive upgrade and compensation. What could have been a brand-damaging experience becomes a loyalty-building moment.
The Road Ahead: From Mobile-First to AI-First
A decade ago, enterprises asked themselves: “Are we a mobile company?” Today, mobile is a given. Soon, the same will be true of AI. The question is no longer if organisations will adopt AI, but whether they have the trusted data foundation to do it successfully.
Those who invest in high-quality, governed data will transform CX, deepen customer loyalty, and unlock growth. Those who don’t risk falling behind, not just in innovation, but in reputation, compliance, and competitiveness.
As OpenAI’s Sam Altman noted about mobile adoption: “Nobody calls themselves a mobile company anymore. It’s just assumed.” Soon, no company will call itself an AI company either because AI will simply be everywhere. The only question that remains is: Is your data ready for it?
This thought leadership piece is written by by Joseph Sullivan, Senior Director Solutions at Informatica.
