Systems Of Record Are Not Enough: Why Enterprises Must Shift To Systems Of Action

InnovationSystems Of Record Are Not Enough: Why Enterprises Must Shift To Systems Of ActionByLori Schafer,Forbes Councils Member.for Forbes Technology CouncilCOUNCIL POSTExpertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based)Jun 02, 2026, 11:30am EDTLori Schafer is CEO of Digital Wave Technology, an AI-native platform delivering AI, GenAI, and Agentic AI on governed master data. getty​Enterprises aren’t struggling with data. They are struggling to act on it quickly. Businesses rely on powerful systems that capture, store and report on data. These “systems of record” include ERP platforms, product information management (PIM) systems, customer databases and data warehouses, often governed and synchronized by a master data management (MDM) layer. They compose the digital backbone of an operation, standardizing operations and enabling visibility across the organization.​But in a real-time, outcome-driven environment, systems of record alone are no longer sufficient. Enterprises now need systems of action, which turn insight into immediate execution.​Traditional systems slow down business.Traditional systems of record are designed to manage and standardize enterprise data and processes. In retail, it’s software and tools that support product management, such as aggregating historical data and generating reports.​Systems of action are all about product intelligence, using the data and insights that traditional systems produce and executing tasks to drive outcomes. According to a recent McKinsey report, 80% of executives say their companies are using AI to become more efficient and innovative, and 62% are testing AI agents.​The reason is simple: Companies are under pressure to deliver immediate results. Consider a global apparel retailer managing thousands of SKUs across regions. The company could see a surge in demand for yellow sweatshirts, all due to a sudden TikTok trend. While systems of rec...