<p>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.</p><h3>Panelists:</h3><ul><li>Fern Halper, VP of Research @ TDWI -  <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/fbhalper/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li><li>Joshua Burkhow, Chief Evangelist @ Alteryx -  <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://alteryx.vanillacommunities.com/profile/JoshuaB" target="_blank">@JoshuaB</a> , <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaburkhow/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li></ul><p>Resources and Links</p><ul><li><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://datamakesworld.com/" target="_blank">Data Makes the World Go Round</a></li><li><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52021PC0206" target="_blank">EU AI Act</a></li></ul><p></p><p>Ready to get hands-on with <b>Alteryx One</b>? You can now dive into two brand-new learning paths—<b>Workspace Administrator</b> and <b>Account Administrator</b>—designed to help you build real expertise, fast. Even better, you’ll be able to validate your skills with official certifications launching May 1.</p><p>Explore these new paths and unlock all of our free learning content today on <b>Alteryx Academy</b>.</p><p>Start learning now: [<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://academy.alteryx.com/learn" target="_blank">Visit Alteryx Academy</a>]</p><p></p><p>Start your 30 day free trial of Alteryx desktop or the Analytics cloud platform at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.alteryx.com/AlterEverything" target="_blank">https://www.alteryx.com/AlterEverything</a></p><p></p><p>Subscribe to the Alter Everything podcast on your favorite podcast app:</p><p>Apple Podcasts: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alter-everything/id1356137854" target="_blank">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alter-everything/id1356137854</a></p><p>Spotify: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://open.spotify.com/show/17KLxb23QlvgcbvLiaPck1?si=FWmOQEITRFCQ42smFjOpfA" target="_blank">https://open.spotify.com/show/17KLxb23QlvgcbvLiaPck1?si=FWmOQEITRFCQ42smFjOpfA</a></p><p>Stitcher: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/alteryx/alter-everything" target="_blank">https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/alteryx/alter-everything</a></p><p></p><p>0:00 Opening Question</p><p>2:01 Why 2026 Is a Building Year</p><p>7:59 The Value Ceiling</p><p>14:40 Measuring Real AI Progress</p><p>17:56 Why AI Governance Is Different</p><p>20:06 Governing Agentic Systems</p><p>27:34 Original Thought as Competitive Edge</p><p>32:09 Designing for Augmentation</p><p>35:36 Predictive Analytics and Agentic AI</p><p>38:54 Lightning Round</p><p>42:08 Moving Beyond Productivity Theater</p><p>44:17 Key Takeaways</p>