Agentic AI starts with one critical step: Data integration

Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI both rely on integrated, high-quality data to deliver meaningful automation and insights. It’s no surprise, therefore, that 75% of employers plan to integrate more systems in the next 12 months.¹

Yet, before integrating systems or adopting AI, HR and IT leaders must align on the business goals that data integration will help achieve.

Why alignment matters

HR and IT professionals that don’t collaboratively define business outcomes or data governance practices may experience the following challenges during integration:

• Technical complexity and resource constraints
• Security and compliance risks
• Limited integration options
• Budget constraints

Broader business needs, like growth and the employee experience, could also suffer.

Where HR and IT leaders agree

HR and IT tend to have different objectives. Whereas HR leaders often prioritize analytics, workforce planning and performance outcomes, IT professionals usually focus on governance, scalability and architecture.

However, they can often find common ground on the benefits most impacted by data integration, such as time savings, accuracy and productivity gains. AI depends on each of these outcomes to perform well, making alignment even more critical.

HR and IT collaboration: Put the right pieces together

Unlocking the full value of HR data starts with strong collaboration between HR and IT. From there, application programming interfaces (APIs) can be used to share data easily and securely, while also improving accessibility and reducing friction across systems. The end result is purposeful AI and agile scalability.

AI with purpose

When data flows freely, AI agents and AI-enabled solutions deliver more value. Clean, connected data also helps ensure that AI supports real HR needs, not added complexity.

Agile scalability

With the right strategy, integration becomes a foundation for growth rather than a bottleneck. And as business needs evolve, systems scale more easily.

Agentic AI and ADP Marketplace

ADP Marketplace is a digital HR storefront featuring ADP APIs and a curated set of apps from ADP and third-party partners. It also delivers AI agents that can help organizations:

• Orchestrate HR workflows
• Maintain compliance
• Generate insights instantly
• Reduce manual oversight

¹ADP Integration Market Survey, HR and IT Leaders, February 2026

ADP Editorial Team The ADP editorial team is comprised of human resource professionals with extensive experience solving complex HR challenges for businesses of all sizes.