In this episode of Alter Everything, we sit down with Fern Halper to discuss how most companies are now hitting a stage where productivity gains plateau because foundational elements like data, governance, and measurement are overlooked. Fern, a seasoned data and AI expert, reveals how organizations often chase quick wins with off-the-shelf tools, only to hit a wall when results stop improving or are unmeasurable. PANELISTS: * Fern Halper, VP of Research @ TDWI -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/fbhalper/ * Joshua Burkhow, Chief Evangelist @ Alteryx -  https://alteryx.vanillacommunities.com/profile/JoshuaB , https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaburkhow/ Resources and Links * https://datamakesworld.com/ * https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021PC0206 Ready to get hands-on with *Alteryx One*? You can now dive into two brand-new learning paths—*Workspace Administrator* and *Account Administrator*—designed to help you build real expertise, fast. Even better, you’ll be able to validate your skills with official certifications launching May 1. Explore these new paths and unlock all of our free learning content today on *Alteryx Academy*. Start learning now: [https://academy.alteryx.com/learn] Start your 30 day free trial of Alteryx desktop or the Analytics cloud platform at https://www.alteryx.com/AlterEverything Subscribe to the Alter Everything podcast on your favorite podcast app: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alter-everything/id1356137854 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/17KLxb23QlvgcbvLiaPck1?si=FWmOQEITRFCQ42smFjOpfA Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/alteryx/alter-everything 0:00 Opening Question 2:01 Why 2026 Is a Building Year 7:59 The Value Ceiling 14:40 Measuring Real AI Progress 17:56 Why AI Governance Is Different 20:06 Governing Agentic Systems 27:34 Original Thought as Competitive Edge 32:09 Designing for Augmentation 35:36 Predictive Analytics and Agentic AI 38:54 Lightning Round 42:08 Moving Beyond Productivity Theater 44:17 Key Takeaways

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