Summary
This research report examines the adoption and impact of data products and data contracts across over 300 organizations, revealing significant trends and challenges in the field. The report indicates that data product adoption has increased from 48% in 2024 to 69% in 2026, highlighting a notable shift in organizational approaches to data management. It details how organizations that have adopted data products demonstrate superior outcomes in AI project rollouts, with 85% of these organizations having three or more AI projects in production. The report also discusses the role of data contracts as a critical component in the adoption of data products, emphasizing their importance in ensuring quality, governance, and trust. Furthermore, it outlines the challenges organizations face in scaling data products and securing ongoing funding, as well as the evolving priorities in data management, such as data observability and the need for trustworthy data inputs for AI. The findings suggest that cultural obstacles are more persistent than technical ones, necessitating a shift in organizational mindset towards data product implementation.
