BARC x Actian Research: Data Products Enter the Enterprise Roll-Out Phase
Summary
- Data products are moving into enterprise-wide rollouts, with adoption rising from 48% in 2024 to 69% in 2026.
- 61% of organizations now use data contracts to define schema, quality standards, and ownership between data producers and consumers.
- Data products and contracts together strengthen governance, reliability, and coordination across complex data ecosystems.
- Organizations are adopting these approaches primarily to ensure trusted data for AI systems and business decision-making.
Insights from the 2026 BARC x Actian global research study of 300+ enterprise data leaders
Organizations across industries are investing heavily in AI. Yet many initiatives still struggle to move beyond experimentation and deliver consistent business value.
To better understand what separates AI initiatives that scale from those that stall, Actian partnered with BARC, a leading global analyst firm for data and analytics, to conduct a global research study of enterprise data leaders.
Based on insights from more than 300 respondents across industries and regions, the study examines how organizations adopt and operationalize data products and data contracts, and how these approaches influence the success of AI initiatives.
One of the clearest signals emerging from the research is how rapidly organizations are operationalizing data products—often supported by data contracts that define expectations between data producers and consumers.
BARC × Actian Global Research Report (2026)
Enterprise Adoption of Data Products is Accelerating
The research shows that data products are no longer limited to isolated experiments or pilot initiatives. Instead, many organizations are now entering a roll-out phase, where data products are being implemented across teams and business domains.
Adoption has accelerated significantly over the past year. In 2024, 48% of surveyed organizations reported operational use of data products. By 2026, that figure has increased to 69%.
This shift signals a growing recognition that scalable AI and analytics require more structured approaches to managing and delivering data across the enterprise.
As organizations move beyond early experimentation with AI, data products are becoming an increasingly common way to organize data assets around clear ownership, quality expectations, and reusable data services.
Adoption of data products across organizations. Data products are entering the enterprise roll-out phase – © BARC 2026
Data Contracts are Following Closely Behind
Alongside the rise of data products, the research also shows increasing adoption of data contracts.
Today, 61% of surveyed organizations report using data contracts operationally, either across multiple domains or within specific projects.
Data contracts help formalize expectations around how data is produced and consumed. They typically define elements such as schema and structure, data quality expectations, ownership and responsibilities, and change management rules.
In practice, data contracts often emerge as an operational complement to data products, helping organizations establish clearer agreements between data producers and consumers.
Together, these practices create stronger foundations for managing data dependencies across complex data ecosystems.
Why Organizations are Adopting Data Products
The research also sheds light on the motivations behind these investments. When asked why they implement data products, respondents consistently cited trust and reliability rather than data access alone.
The two most frequently cited drivers were:
- Trustworthy inputs for AI systems.
- Trustworthy inputs for decision-making.
This reflects an important shift in enterprise data priorities. Earlier waves of data modernization focused heavily on data democratization and accessibility. While access remains important, organizations increasingly recognize that reliable outcomes require trustworthy data foundations.
For AI systems in particular, inconsistent data quality or unclear ownership can quickly undermine model performance and business trust.
Download the Full Research Report
This article introduces several key insights from the BARC x Actian global research study.
The full report, Data Products and Data Contracts in 2026: The Foundation for AI Success, explores how organizations across industries and regions are adopting and operationalizing data products and data contracts—and how these practices influence AI maturity, governance, and real-world outcomes.
Get the full report to explore the findings and learn how leading organizations are scaling AI with data products.
Download Full Report
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