Question 1

Do we need clean data across every channel before starting?

Accepted Answer

No. A first project can be scoped to one decision, product family, location group, or channel. The minimum requirement is enough stable identity and event history to reconstruct the current decision and test the proposed workflow.

Question 2

Can the system take inventory or pricing actions automatically?

Accepted Answer

Potentially, but not as the starting state. Begin with recommendations, explicit thresholds, and human approval. Expand authority only for bounded actions whose error cost, rollback path, and policy are understood.

Question 3

When is this a poor first AI project?

Accepted Answer

It is not ready when product, order, or location identifiers cannot be reconciled, no one owns the decision, policy exceptions are undocumented, or current performance cannot be observed. Start with data and workflow design instead.

Turn retail and ecommerce signals into governed operating decisions.