This week, I want to reflect on something close to my heart: the concrete impacts AI is havingāand will continue to haveāon the careers of those of us who live and breathe retail.
As a career executive in Technology and Operations, one of my long-standing missions has been bringing clarity to complex topics for non-technical business users. Seeing technology through the eyes of the actual end user has always been, in my opinion, central to being an effective executive.
Looking back over the past few decades, each era brought its own technology focus:
Whatās different this time is the breadth of impact. Earlier innovations primarily affected the technology departments. Change management centered around ITāmoving to the cloud, shifting from monolithic to modular architectures, and improving data pipelines. Business users cared about outcomes, but rarely the āhow.ā
With AI, thatās changed. The impact is far more expansive and cross-functional. AI is reshaping the entire retail workforce, not just tech teams. While some roles may fade and new ones will emerge, virtually every job will evolve.
Thatās why nowāmore than everāfunctional leaders across Marketing, Merchandising, Supply Chain, Technology, and beyond must actively grow their toolbox. Itās not just important. Itās urgent.
Iām an optimist. This isnāt a fear-based messageāitās a call to curiosity. Itās an invitation to explore, learn, and lead.
If I could give one piece of advice to any retailer, especially those who may feel daunted by tech, it would be this:
Start by exploring how AI is transforming your function. Then look at your company, and finally at your broader industry.
This technology is here, and itās accelerating. The sooner we all lean in, the more empowered weāll be to shape our futures, not just respond to them.
Letās not just keep up. Letās lead the way.
ā
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Advisor @ fabric