Introducing new technology propels a business the same way
stomping the gas pedal propels a car. Whichever direction the car
is already going, it's now going that way faster. It's an
analogy grocers would do well to keep in mind as they evaluate the
wide variety of AI-powered solutions proliferating the market.
AI is anticipated to revolutionize processes from ordering and
forecasting to pricing and promoting. As such, it's a hot topic
many want to quickly implement to gain a competitive advantage. But
what sometimes gets lost in all the excitement is a critical
buzzword: machine learning.
What does the machine learn from? It learns from a company's
existing data. That's why a grocer's first step in
evaluating new technology must be assessing the data and systems
with which that technology will interact. Bypassing this
foundational work inevitably leads to an underwhelming return on
the time and money invested.
