The KPI Institute recently interviewed Madhur Mayank Sharma, senior director and head of AI development at SAP Asia PTE LTD and share insights with PERFORMANCE Magazine about about the challenges and opportunities in adopting artificial intelligence in the Asia Pacific region, and how to develop a data strategy that aligns with business objectives and how to foster data literacy within organizations.

TKI: As the Head of the AI Development team for SAP, how do you define a good data strategy? What does it entail?

Madhur: For companies to drive innovation, improve operational efficiency, and deliver better business outcomes, a sound data strategy is a must. Establishing clear business objectives helps in identifying needed data points and data quality. With this in place, choosing the right data platform facilitates the creation of the required digital infrastructure. This infrastructure should support seamless and real-time data flow from the source of generation to the point of decision-making. Lastly, proper training and continuous process improvement result in positive business outcomes.

TKI: What are the unique opportunities and challenges that come with developing AI products and services in the Asia Pacific region, and how do you ensure that your team is able to effectively address these factors?

Madhur: The Asia Pacific region represents a unique challenge and opportunity when it comes to the adoption of AI products and services. On one side, the ever-changing business landscape, language barriers, and varied business processes pose challenges for AI systems to provide desired results. On the other hand, companies are willing to experiment, are open to changing business processes, and have adopted innovative ways of running the business, helping usher in innovation.

TKI: How do you balance the need for speed and agility in data analysis with the need for accuracy and rigor in data modeling and interpretation?

Madhur: This balance needs to be established on a case-by-case basis. Critical business functions in which decisions may profoundly impact business outcomes require more attention and hence better accuracy and rigor in data modeling. Meanwhile, the faster deployment of data modeling may help enhance the user experience for the business processes where user behavior and action require facilitation and substantiation. Agility and relevance are fundamental to both critical and non-critical business functions.

To read more about the latest trends, strategy, and performance management in data analytics, check out the latest issue of Performance Magazine today! You can get a free digital version via the TKI Marketplace or order a printed copy from Amazon. Please be informed that the price may vary for printed copies depending on your location.

Editor’s Note: This article is written by Paolo Orduña, a Senior Editor at The KPI Institute, and originally published in the PERFORMANCE Magazine Issue No. 26, 2023 – Data Analytics Edition.

The KPI Institute successfully hosted a forum on global trends that will impact strategy and performance management practices in 2023. Dubbed “2023 Business Pulse: 5 Trends Impacting Strategy and Performance Management,” the event was hosted by the TKI Research Division’s business unit manager, Cristina Mihailoaie, and data expert, Islam Salahuddin.

The webinar covered trends in the realms of geopolitics, economics, society and culture, technology, and sustainability. Through careful analysis of these trends, our experts identified the most possible trajectories that will shape the future of strategy and performance management:

• There will be a greater need for more resilient strategies and agile performance management.
• More companies will realize the need for a data strategy that allows for robust data governance.
• Automation will produce better performance results.
• Performance improvement will be achieved through upskilling and reskilling.
• Performance improvement hinges on continuous learning.
• Employee performance management will be reshaped in an employee-centric approach.

“As Peter Drucker said, ‘The best way to predict the future is to create it,’ and this seminar has equipped our participants with the knowledge and understanding to do just that,” said Cristina.

If you have a yearning for learning strategy and performance management skills, you may want to check out our courses. Arm yourselves with the knowledge that you need to successfully ride the business world’s ever-changing trends here.

 

Editor’s Note: This excerpt was originally published in the Ask Our Experts section of PERFORMANCE Magazine Issue No. 26, 2023 – Data Analytics Edition. Islam Salahuddin, a business research analyst and data expert at The KPI Institute, answers, “How can organizations bridge the knowledge gap between data analysts and non-technical stakeholders and decision-makers?”

Bridging the gap between data teams and non-technical stakeholders should be a multi-way effort. 

From the technical side, data analysts first have to be aware of business needs and then adopt communication best practices. Insights should be delivered in the plain language of stakeholders, eliminating technical jargon and providing business context. Data storytelling techniques should be leveraged to ensure communication is engaging and persuasive.

From the side of stakeholders, having a high level of data literacy is key to avoiding communication gaps and insight misinterpretations that can lead to distorted decision-making.

Moreover, as hierarchical organizational gaps widen in larger businesses, having mediator roles can also be beneficial. These roles can be performed by experienced business analysts or specialized positions like data translators. Making room at the management tables for data-experienced managers and chief officers will bridge the gap more easily.

From a big-picture perspective, developing a wider data culture environment within an organization can eliminate such gaps on different levels. Business data maturity can only be achieved if business objectives are aligned with and then enabled by data uses, which highlights the importance of crafting a data strategy in alignment with the overall business strategy.

Ready to bridge the gap between data teams and non-technical stakeholders? Elevate your data skills through The KPI Institute’s Certified Data Analysis and Certified Data Visualization Professional courses.

With the rise of remote work, maintaining employee motivation and engagement has become vital to elevate morale, nurture belonging, and amplify productivity. One way to keep employees motivated and engaged is through employee recognition. 

The TKI People Awards series features the employees and teams recognized by TKI for going above and beyond expectations, excelling as team players, and creating a tremendous impact on the company.

In this article, the recipients of the TKI Employee of the Month award in March 2023 shared their thoughts on receiving it and their achievements so far. Learn how they overcome challenges and find motivation at work.

 

 

Maryan Hamadeh

Translator and Research Assistant, Research Division

The KPI Institute

 

TKI: What does receiving the Employee of the Month award mean to you?

Maryan: Receiving the Employee of the Month award means a lot to me. It represents a sense of accomplishment and pride for my hard work. It makes me feel appreciated and that my efforts have been recognized. Moreover, it reassures me that I work in the right company and a supportive working environment that values its employees. 

TKI: What’s your favorite accomplishment so far at TKI? 

Maryan: One of my favorite accomplishments at TKI has been my most recent project. I was proudly able to translate the Certified Innovation Performance Professional (C-IP) course in just one month while juggling other tasks as well, knowing that the time estimation to translate such courses is around three months. This task was challenging but also demonstrated my dedication and time management skills. It is certainly something to be proud of! 

TKI: When you’re faced with a challenge at work, how do you find a solution?

Maryan: The first thing I do once I face a challenge at work is trying to understand the challenge. After that, I break it down into minor challenges and set small goals. I develop an action plan for steps that I need to take to overcome this challenge. Those are the steps I have followed to translate the C-IP course, and I cannot stress enough the importance of time management. Remember that you can continuously develop your time management skills to increase your ability to handle challenges efficiently and achieve better results. 

TKI: What would be the three main career lessons that you have learned thus far?

Maryan: (1) Continuous learning and development: There is always room for improvement and growth. Every day, you face new challenges and handle new tasks, so take that as an opportunity to learn new things. (2) Networking: The KPI Institute is a working environment known for its diversity. Getting to know colleagues from various backgrounds will help you exchange knowledge and share different insights. (3) Taking risks: Always remember that you know a lot more than you think you know. You still need to be put in a situation to discover those skills. So, once you fail, embrace this failure and step up again. Fall seven times, stand up eight! 

 

 

Eglis Mewania

Administrative Assistant

Life Management Science Labs (LMSL)

 

TKI: What does receiving the Employee of the Month award mean to you?

Eglis: Getting the Employee of the Month award means a lot to me. It is like a big thumbs-up from my colleagues and a recognition that my hard work and dedication have paid off. It increases my confidence and motivation, showing that the company values my efforts. Plus, it is a nice little ego boost and a chance to celebrate with my team. Overall, it is a tremendous honor that makes me proud of what I do.

TKI: What’s your favorite accomplishment so far at TKI? 

Eglis: So far at TKI, my favorite accomplishment has been conducting preliminary meetings successfully with potential podcast guests. I took the time to explain everything clearly and effectively, and I was thrilled every time they agreed to join the podcast. Knowing that my efforts paid off and that our podcast would benefit from their participation was a great feeling.

TKI: When you’re faced with a challenge at work, how do you find a solution?

Eglis: When I encounter a challenge at work, I tackle it head-on. First, I take a moment to assess the situation and understand the problem. Then, I brainstorm possible solutions, often bouncing ideas off my colleagues or seeking their input. Once I have a few potential solutions, I weigh their pros and cons. Finally, I choose the best approach and dive in, adapting and learning along the way. It is all about being proactive, collaborative, and willing to learn from successes and setbacks.

TKI: What would be the three main career lessons that you have learned thus far?

Eglis: The three main career lessons I have learned so far would be (1) embrace opportunities, (2) learn from failures, and (3) build relationships.

 

 

Shorouk Mohamed

Senior Graphic Designer 

Biodigy

 

TKI: What does receiving the Employee of the Month award mean to you?

Shorouk: Receiving the Employee of the Month award means a lot to me because it feels great to know that my work got noticed and appreciated. This makes me more encouraged and motivated to keep up the hard work.

TKI: What’s your favorite accomplishment so far at TKI? 

Shorouk: I would say designing the  LMSL and maentae websites is my favorite accomplishment because these projects introduced me to website designing for the first time. I learned from scratch how to use the new required Adobe software and am still educating myself more about the UI/UX design field.

TKI: When you’re faced with a challenge at work, how do you find a solution?

Shorouk: I start by doing my own research regarding the different potential solutions to the challenge I am facing and then discuss the results with my art director for more reliable and supported answers to my questions.

TKI: What would be the three main career lessons that you have learned thus far?

Shorouk: (1) There is always room for learning new skills and getting introduced to new fields of design. (2) It is important from time to time that I get out of my comfort zone and try more challenging projects that require a design outcome that is not my typical design style. (3) Getting to work with colleagues from a diverse culture is very inspiring because it introduces us to different work experiences and project management techniques.

 

 

Donnell Constantino

Instructional Designer

Institute for Life Management Science (ILMS)

 

TKI: What does receiving the Employee of the Month award mean to you?

Donnell: Receiving the Employee of the Month award makes me feel validated. 

TKI: What’s your favorite accomplishment so far at TKI? 

Donnell: My favorite accomplishment so far working at ILMS, one of the organizations within the TKI ecosystem, would be creating course modules

TKI: When you’re faced with a challenge at work, how do you find a solution?

Donnell: When faced with a challenge at work and finding a solution for it,  just be assertive and not be afraid to ask questions. 

TKI: What would be the three main career lessons that you have learned thus far?

Donnell: The three career insights I have gained include the importance of assertiveness, kindness, and critical thinking.