Concept dictionary
Data Readiness
Data readiness is the degree to which data is available, understandable, governed, accessible, reliable, and appropriate for a defined use.
- Review state
- Reviewed in POC
- Freshness
- Current
- Version
- 2
Also called
- Data Readiness
- AI Data Readiness
Remember it this wayReady data is fit, understood, permitted, and maintainable for this use.
In plain language
A team needs more than a large quantity of data. It must know what the data means, where it came from, who may use it, how current it is, and whether it represents the task.
Why it matters
AI projects often stall because the data path, ownership, quality, permissions, or interpretation is unresolved even when the model or tool is available.
Example
Before building a support assistant, a company inventories policy documents, owners, access rules, versions, gaps, and update processes.
Common misconception
Clean data is not automatically ready data. Readiness is specific to the intended use and includes governance and meaning.
Related terms
Sources
- NIST AI RMF — How AI Risks Differ from Traditional Software Risksofficial guidance on whether data represents the intended context and on data-quality risks.
- NIST AI RMF Playbookofficial implementation guidance addressing data completeness, representativeness, balance, quality, provenance, and suitability for evaluation.
Learn more
- Start with [[current-state|Current State]], ownership, and [[data-provenance|Data Provenance]].