In this refreshingly honest piece, CIO Naren Gangavarapu urges leaders to pump the brakes on flashy AI ambitions and start investing where it really counts: digital foundations.

"As a CIO, I often see the allure of AI captivating boardrooms. Visionary demos, futuristic pitch decks, and promises of disruption paint an exciting picture. But here’s the reality: AI won’t magically transform a business that hasn’t first invested in its digital foundations.

If you’re leading a non-tech business — whether it’s in manufacturing, logistics, retail, or professional services — your competitive edge won’t come from building a “super-agent” or deploying AI in every corner. It will come from solid groundwork.

Let me explain why.

Foundations First: The Hidden Enabler of ROI

The most transformative outcomes I’ve seen didn’t start with AI — they started with fixing the basics:

• Automating backend workflows like invoice reconciliation, spreadsheet consolidation, or approvals.
• Cleaning up data pipelines and eliminating duplications.
• Creating scalable APIs and interoperable systems.

These are the unglamorous parts of IT — things that rarely make it into keynote speeches. But they are the multipliers of innovation. Without them, every AI initiative becomes a siloed experiment rather than a business accelerator.

AI Isn’t a Silver Bullet (Yet)

Today’s most effective AI strategies are humble, focused, and human-centred:

Multi-agent architectures outperform bloated “do-it-all” systems like ERP systems.

Backend-first thinking drives real ROI — because what’s automated behind the scenes reduces cost, friction, and rework.

Human-in-the-loop design builds trust, because humans help tools make better decisions.

Solving boring, painful problems — not chasing moonshots is where AI thrives today.

Start small, iterate fast. A simple automation that saves 15 minutes a day for 100 employees is a quiet revolution.

What I Tell the Board

If we want AI to work, we need:

1. A clear data strategy — AI is only as good as the data it learns from.
2. Digitised processes — Manual, offline workflows can’t be optimised or enhanced by AI.
3. Technical debt reduction — Legacy systems slow everything down, including your AI dreams.
4. Change readiness — People need to trust and understand the systems they’re asked to use. Adoption is key to success.

This isn’t just IT strategy — it’s business strategy.

The Path to Sustainable Innovation

Sustainable AI adoption doesn’t begin with a model. It begins with intention:

• Build for value, not hype.
• Invest in systems that scale.
• Think long-term, even when moving fast.

As CIOs, our role isn’t just to bring in the tech — it’s to build the runway so that when AI takes off, it doesn’t crash into the silos, spreadsheets, and legacy systems that have held us back for years.

Final Thought for the C-Suite
The smartest investment you can make in AI today isn’t AI itself — it’s everything that makes AI useful tomorrow."