Craig S. Mullins Announces New Book: The Cost of ‘Good Enough’ Data: Why Modern Architectures Fail at Scale

A Timely Examination of Data Quality, Technical Debt, AI Readiness, and the Hidden Costs Undermining Modern Enterprises

HOUSTON, TX, UNITED STATES, July 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As organizations invest billions in artificial intelligence, cloud platforms, analytics initiatives, and digital transformation projects, many are overlooking the single most important factor determining success: the quality and trustworthiness of their data.

In his new book, The Cost of “Good Enough” Data: Why Modern Architectures Fail at Scale, veteran database expert and technology author Craig S. Mullins argues that enterprises are facing a growing crisis of data debt—one that threatens AI initiatives, increases operational costs, creates compliance risks, and undermines business decision-making.

“Artificial intelligence has changed the economics of data quality,” says Mullins. “When bad data feeds dashboards, the damage may be limited. When bad data feeds AI systems that make recommendations, automate processes, or influence decisions, the consequences can be amplified across the entire organization.”

For decades, organizations have tolerated “good enough” data. Minor inconsistencies, duplicate records, undocumented transformations, fragmented pipelines, and questionable data lineage were often viewed as acceptable tradeoffs in the pursuit of speed and agility. But in an era where AI systems learn directly from enterprise data, those compromises have become increasingly expensive.

The Cost of “Good Enough” Data explores why many modern data architectures fail to deliver on their promises despite substantial investments in cloud platforms, data lakes, lakehouses, analytics systems, and AI technologies. The book examines how organizations accumulate data debt over time and why traditional approaches to data management often fall short in highly distributed, hybrid environments.

Drawing on decades of experience working with enterprise databases, mainframe systems, and large-scale information management initiatives, Mullins provides practical guidance for technology leaders seeking to build trustworthy data foundations for the AI era.

According to Mullins, the central message is straightforward: “Organizations do not have an AI problem. They have a data problem that AI is exposing.”

Key topics of Mullins' book include:
• The hidden costs of poor data quality and technical debt
• Why AI initiatives expose long-standing data weaknesses
• The proliferation of data pipelines and architectural complexity
• Governance challenges in modern hybrid environments
• The relationship between trusted data and trustworthy AI
• Data lineage, metadata, and organizational knowledge management
• Why systems of record remain strategic assets
• The changing role of DBAs, data architects, and governance professionals

Rather than focusing solely on technology platforms, the book emphasizes the organizational, operational, and architectural disciplines required to create reliable information ecosystems at enterprise scale.

The Cost of “Good Enough” Data: Why Modern Architectures Fail at Scale challenges organizations to rethink long-held assumptions about data management and demonstrates why trusted data has become the most valuable asset in the age of artificial intelligence.

The book is written for CIOs, CTOs, Chief Data Officers, enterprise architects, database professionals, data engineers, governance leaders, and executives responsible for turning information into business value.

About the Author

Craig S. Mullins is a data management consultant, author, and industry thought leader with more than four decades of experience working with database systems, data architecture, and enterprise information management. He is the president of Mullins Consulting, Inc., writes regularly on database and data management topics, and is recognized internationally for his expertise in Db2, mainframe systems, database administration, and data strategy.
Contact:
For additional information, speaking engagements, interviews, or review copies, contact:
Craig S. Mullins
Mullins Consulting, Inc.
Email: craig@craigsmullins.com
Website: https://www.mullinsconsulting.com

Craig S. Mullins
Mullins Consulting, Inc.
craig@craigsmullins.com
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Bluesky
Facebook
X

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.