M-Files Launches the Market Momentum Index for AI and Unstructured Data
M-Files, a leader in knowledge work automation, has launched the Market Momentum Index, a new measure focused on AI readiness and unstructured data management. The goal is straightforward: help organizations understand how prepared they are to adopt AI, with a clear focus on how they handle the messy, hard-to-govern information that sits outside structured systems.
What the Market Momentum Index Reveals
Developed by Deep Analysis in partnership with M-Files, the research captures responses from 500 U.S. enterprises across finance, manufacturing, utilities, and other sectors. The headline finding: companies are moving past trials and proofs of concept and beginning to embed AI into day-to-day operations. In other words, the experimentation phase is giving way to practical, operational use.
Roadblocks on the Way to Scaled AI
Enthusiasm alone won’t get AI over the line. The study shows that security and compliance are the chief obstacles, named by 43% of respondents as primary challenges. Performance and accuracy are close behind at 40%, reflecting concern about whether AI can be trusted in real work. And while issues like hallucinations and ethics matter, the data suggests they rank below the immediate need to protect information and meet regulatory requirements.
The Unstructured Data Dilemma
As more teams adopt AI, understanding unstructured data becomes pivotal. According to the study, 58% of organizations report a wide range of unstructured data sources in their environments—documents, emails, files, and more. A notable 75% rely on Microsoft SharePoint for storage, often with dozens to hundreds of separate instances. That sprawl and variability can undermine AI performance, because models only work as well as the information they can reliably access, interpret, and trust.
How M-Files Addresses the Challenge
M-Files differentiates itself by targeting the foundations of effective AI: connectivity, confidentiality, and curation. The platform connects to many systems without forcing content to move, automatically classifies information, and supplies AI with well-labeled, high-quality inputs. Better inputs, better outcomes. It’s a simple equation that plays out in daily work.
Security is built in. M-Files enforces who can see what, ensuring sensitive information is only available to authorized users. Advanced metadata tagging sharpens access control and supports compliance. By putting content in context—what it is, who owns it, how it should be used—the platform focuses AI on relevant information and reduces noise. That context-driven approach can lift accuracy compared to traditional methods that treat every file the same.
Why This Could Be Transformative
Antti Nivala, founder and CEO of M-Files, underscores AI’s potential to shift how work gets done. By removing repetitive tasks from employees’ plates, organizations can redirect attention to higher-value work and turn information into a lever for growth. The caveat is clear: the gains depend on a solid base of organized, secure data that AI can actually use.
Information Management, Now
Alan Pelz-Sharpe, founder of Deep Analysis, highlights the same point from another angle: without disciplined information management, much of AI’s promise stays out of reach. Because unstructured data makes up a large share of enterprise knowledge, treating it as an afterthought all but guarantees missed opportunities.
A Call to Act
The takeaway is direct: turn data strategy into an AI advantage. Tori Miller Liu, president and CEO of AIIM, stresses that managing unstructured data is foundational to successful AI deployment. Consider it a prompt to revisit how information is governed, secured, and made usable—then move with intent.
Upcoming Educational Opportunities
M-Files will host a webinar with Deep Analysis and AIIM on how leaders are using AI to process unstructured data. Titled “Learn How to Harness the Transformative Power of AI for Information Management,” the session offers practical insight at the intersection of AI and information management for those looking to move from plans to practice.
About M-Files
M-Files is at the forefront of knowledge work automation. Its platform helps people find the right information fast, streamline processes, and work more productively. With a metadata-driven architecture and advanced AI capabilities, M-Files supports efficient, compliant information management across complex environments.
About Deep Analysis
Deep Analysis is an advisory firm focused on digital transformation. Its analysts track emerging technologies and provide strategic guidance to enterprises navigating shifting market conditions and modernization efforts.
About AIIM
The Association for Intelligent Information Management (AIIM) helps organizations improve their information practices. Its guidance and resources support teams preparing data for AI so they can adopt new technologies with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Market Momentum Index?
The Market Momentum Index is a research initiative from M-Files that gauges how ready organizations are to adopt AI, with a specific focus on how they manage unstructured data.
Which industries participated in the study?
The research includes responses from 500 U.S. enterprises across sectors such as finance, manufacturing, and utilities, offering a broad view of current AI adoption.
What are the biggest challenges to AI adoption?
Respondents pointed to security and compliance as the top hurdles (43%), followed by performance and accuracy concerns (40%). Ethics and hallucinations matter too, but they ranked lower than safeguarding information and meeting regulations.
How does M-Files support effective AI use?
M-Files connects to existing systems, automatically classifies content, and enforces precise access controls with metadata. This combination supplies AI with clean, relevant inputs and limits exposure of sensitive information.
What benefits can organizations expect from AI?
AI can streamline operations by handling repetitive tasks, freeing employees to focus on higher-value work. With organized, secure data, unstructured information becomes a strategic asset that can drive meaningful growth.
