Decision Loop: AI for Retail & Manufacturing Leaders | Presented by RELEX Solutions

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AI is transforming how the world plans, produces, and performs, but faster doesn’t always mean smarter. Decision Loop is the podcast for retail, manufacturing, and consumer goods leaders who want clarity amid the AI hype. Hosted by Christine Babington, Product Marketing Manager at RELEX Solutions, each episode explores how real organizations are using intelligent planning, automation, and data-driven decision-making to modernize operations without losing control. RELEX Solutions provides a unified, AI-native platform for retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers to plan smarter and operate more efficiently across the value chain. By combining advanced AI with deep industry expertise, it improves availability, increases sales, enhances sustainability, and drives profitable growth at scale. Through candid conversations with transformation leaders, strategists, and innovators, Decision Loop tackles the biggest questions in enterprise AI: How do you scale beyond pilots?What does good AI governance look like?Can we make faster decisions without sacrificing accountability? If you're ready to move from theory to impact and lead your organization through the next era of intelligent planning, this podcast is your signal through the noise. Subscribe to or follow Decision Loop to never miss an episode!

Episodes

  1. The AI Pilot Trap: Why Most Never Gain Traction | Robyn Bolton, MileZero

    1D AGO

    The AI Pilot Trap: Why Most Never Gain Traction | Robyn Bolton, MileZero

    Running AI pilots has become standard practice, but few are scaling. In this episode of Decision Loop, Christine Babington speaks with Robyn Bolton, founder of MileZero and former Procter & Gamble innovator, about why experimentation rarely converts into results and what it takes to change that. Robyn draws on her consulting work, research, and hands-on experience launching Swiffer at P&G to break down why AI pilots stall, how leaders need to change their behavior, and why innovation is a system rather than an event. They also cover the danger of action without achievement, the relay race model for scaling initiatives, how to evaluate whether a pilot is worth continuing, and the three things every leader should do before green-lighting the next AI proposal. If you're a senior leader in retail, supply chain, or manufacturing, this conversation will change how you think about AI pilots. Follow Decision Loop on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube for more. Chapter Markers (00:00) - Opening: If something feels stuck, kill it (02:37) - What is driving the explosion of AI pilots across enterprises? (06:15) - Innovation as a system: what that means (12:45) - Fail fast, learn fast: how do you know you are not quitting too early? (17:40) - The patterns and pitfalls that break a handoff (21:11) - The one question every leader should ask before approving a pilot (24:18) - Three key takeaways 🔗 Useful Links Christine Babington LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/christine-babington-smith Robyn Bolton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynmbolton/ Unlocking Innovation: A Leader's Guide for Turning Bold Ideas Into Tangible Results: https://BookHip.com/BFRXKZD RELEX Solutions Website: https://www.relexsolutions.com/

    25 min
  2. Svante Göthe on Why AI-Driven Forecasting is the Only Way to Tackle Waste at Scale

    APR 29

    Svante Göthe on Why AI-Driven Forecasting is the Only Way to Tackle Waste at Scale

    Thinking of waste as just a sustainability problem is too narrow. It also affects profitability, and many organizations consider only part of the picture. In this episode of Decision Loop, Christine Babington is joined by Svante Göthe, Head of Sustainability at RELEX Solutions, to explore how physical waste, labour inefficiency, and logistics are some of the biggest contributors to margin erosion for retail, manufacturing and supply chains. Svante reveals why waste is so difficult to prioritise, how AI-driven forecasting is the foundation for any waste reduction strategy, and why the organizations that get planning right are already halving waste ahead of global 2030 targets. With real-world results including a 30% reduction in production waste at Blount Fine Foods and a 25% drop in transport emissions at a German grocery retailer, this episode makes a clear case: tackling waste can make an organization an industry winner.  Follow Decision Loop on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube for more insights on intelligent planning and enterprise transformation. Chapter Markers (00:00) - Opening: AI as the Key to Tackling Waste (02:55) - The Scale of the Problem: Stats on Retail and Food Waste (06:30) - What is Driving the Focus on Waste Reduction Today? (11:49) - The Role of AI Forecasting in Preventing Waste (15:23) - Transport Efficiency: Reducing Mileage and Emissions (19:49) - Optimism and the Finnish Food Waste Success Story 🔗 Useful Links Christine Babington LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/christine-babington-smith Svante Göthe LinkedIn: https://se.linkedin.com/in/svante-göthe RELEX Solutions Website: https://www.relexsolutions.com/

    23 min
  3. Why it's a Blend of Build and Buy with AI | Richard Davis, Inference Group

    APR 15

    Why it's a Blend of Build and Buy with AI | Richard Davis, Inference Group

    Most AI projects do not fail outright. They just can't scale. That distinction matters more than most organizations realize. In this episode of Decision Loop, Christine Babington is joined by Richard Davis, CEO and co-founder of Inference Group, to discuss a decision facing many enterprise leaders: whether to build AI capabilities in-house, buy off the shelf, or take a blended approach. Richard draws on hands-on experience leading AI programmes to unpack why so many AI initiatives stall at the pilot stage, touching on data readiness, governance, and the hidden costs of in-house builds. He also shares a framework for deciding which AI capabilities your organization should own and which are better left to specialist vendors. If you lead AI investment decisions in retail, manufacturing, or supply chain, this episode will sharpen your thinking on one of the most consequential decisions in enterprise AI right now. Follow Decision Loop on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Chapter Markers (00:00) - Introduction and icebreaker: what would you automate with AI? (03:22) - What triggered the build vs buy debate in enterprise AI? (05:14) - Why 70% of AI projects fail to scale (09:52) - How to evaluate whether to build, buy, or blend (12:18) - Lifetime costs and the maintenance challenge (13:31) - The blended approach: knowing what to own (14:21) - Examples from Octopus Energy and Ocado (17:21) - Where enterprise AI is heading in the next one to two years (19:06) - Key takeaways and wrap-up 🔗 Useful Links Christine Babington LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/christine-babington-smith Richard Davis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richadavis/ RELEX Solutions Website: https://www.relexsolutions.com/

    20 min
  4. How Your Organization Can Prosper in an AI Augmented World | Ron Crabtree, MetaOps

    APR 1

    How Your Organization Can Prosper in an AI Augmented World | Ron Crabtree, MetaOps

    Most organizations are asking the wrong question about AI. It's not whether to invest, but how to make it really work. In this episode of Decision Loop, Christine Babington speaks with Ron Crabtree, CEO of MetaOps Inc., about what it takes to build AI-enabled organizations in manufacturing and retail to truly prosper in an AI-augmented world. Ron draws on decades of experience in operational excellence, Lean Six Sigma, change management, and supply chain transformation to explain why organizational readiness matters as much, if not more, than the technology itself. They explore what's driving AI urgency in manufacturing and retail today, why the people-process-technology sequence is more critical than most leaders realize, and how value stream mapping with activity-based costing can expose the 20% of steps driving 80% of the opportunities. Ron also shares a practical framework for building AI-enabled teams, one that starts with measurable business outcomes before tooling. If you lead a supply chain, retail, or manufacturing organization and want a clear, practical guide to getting ahead with AI, this is a strong place to start. Chapter Markers (00:00) - Episode Introduction (02:15) - What is driving AI urgency in manufacturing and retail (05:52) - The four future-of-work scenarios and what they mean for industry (07:39) - Why starting with technology is a mistake (09:27) - How to start: building from business outcomes (11:47) - Engaging people through value stream mapping and process data (15:21) - Making the process practical – scoping it down to what matters (18:53) - What AI-enabled teams look like (21:15) - One piece of advice for leaders starting this journey (22:57) - Key takeaways and close 🔗 Useful Links Christine Babington LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/christine-babington-smith Ron Crabtree LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roncrabtree RELEX Solutions Website: https://www.relexsolutions.com/

    24 min
  5. Beyond the AI hype: What Manufacturing Leaders Actually Need to Know | Madhav Durbha

    MAR 18

    Beyond the AI hype: What Manufacturing Leaders Actually Need to Know | Madhav Durbha

    AI is everywhere in manufacturing conversations, but how much of it is real, and how much is noise? In the debut episode of Decision Loop, host Christine Babington sits down with Madhav Durbha, Group Vice President of Manufacturing Strategy at RELEX Solutions, to cut through the hype and get into what AI adoption actually looks like on the ground. They explore why so many transformation initiatives stall, what separates genuine automation progress from surface-level experimentation, and how manufacturing and retail leaders can build a strategy that holds up past the AI demo. If you're responsible for driving AI or digital transformation in a manufacturing or retail supply chain environment, this episode gives you the clear-eyed perspective you need to move forward with confidence. Subscribe to Decision Loop for more. Chapter Markers (00:00) - Welcome to Decision Loop  (02:00) - Introducing Madhav Durbha  (04:30) - Why AI in manufacturing is overhyped and underused  (08:00) - What real AI adoption looks like on the ground  (12:30) - Common mistakes in transformation strategy  (17:00) - Separating automation from intelligence (21:30) - How to build an AI-ready manufacturing organisation (26:00) - The role of product positioning and thought leadership (30:00) - Key takeaways and closing thoughts 🔗 Useful Links Christine Babington LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/christine-babington-smith Madhav Durbha LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madhav-durbha-460a3 RELEX Solutions Website: https://www.relexsolutions.com/

    24 min

  6. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Introducing Decision Loop: AI for Retail & Manufacturing Leaders

    AI is transforming how the world plans, produces, and performs, but faster doesn’t always mean smarter. Decision Loop is the podcast for retail, manufacturing, and consumer goods leaders who want clarity amid the AI hype. Hosted by Christine Babington from RELEX Solutions, each episode explores how organisations are using intelligent planning, automation, and data-driven decision-making to modernise operations and scale AI responsibly. New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe or follow Decision Loop to stay up to date with future episodes!

    1 min

Trailer

About

AI is transforming how the world plans, produces, and performs, but faster doesn’t always mean smarter. Decision Loop is the podcast for retail, manufacturing, and consumer goods leaders who want clarity amid the AI hype. Hosted by Christine Babington, Product Marketing Manager at RELEX Solutions, each episode explores how real organizations are using intelligent planning, automation, and data-driven decision-making to modernize operations without losing control. RELEX Solutions provides a unified, AI-native platform for retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers to plan smarter and operate more efficiently across the value chain. By combining advanced AI with deep industry expertise, it improves availability, increases sales, enhances sustainability, and drives profitable growth at scale. Through candid conversations with transformation leaders, strategists, and innovators, Decision Loop tackles the biggest questions in enterprise AI: How do you scale beyond pilots?What does good AI governance look like?Can we make faster decisions without sacrificing accountability? If you're ready to move from theory to impact and lead your organization through the next era of intelligent planning, this podcast is your signal through the noise. Subscribe to or follow Decision Loop to never miss an episode!

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