AI Supply Chain Diagnostics Gain Ground as Retailers Seek Performance Clarity

As retailers brace for renewed geopolitical and economic uncertainty under a possible second Trump presidency, many CEOs are turning to a quiet but growing diagnostic service led personally by Buffers.ai CEO Pini Usha.

Separate from the Buffers.ai platform—used by supply chain teams to manage replenishment, assortment, and procurement—Usha’s hands-on consulting service offers senior leadership a sharper lens into operational performance. Leveraging client-specific data, proprietary AI tools, and insights developed over 10 years of working with global fashion brands, the service provides rapid, benchmark-driven assessments of supply chain strengths and vulnerabilities. Buffers.ai has supported supply chain operations for fashion leaders such as H&M, Victoria’s Secret, and TOPTEN, and has been operating in the retail AI space for over a decade. “This isn’t about pointing fingers at your supply chain team,” Usha told Retail Insight. “It’s about giving CEOs a clear, honest read of what’s working, what’s not, and how far ahead—or behind—they really are compared to industry standards.”

Often described as “an MRI for your supply chain,” the diagnostics reveal both hidden risks and untapped strengths—whether it’s a vendor dragging down performance, a broken replenishment loop, or a misaligned allocation strategy. In one case, a department store chain believed overseas suppliers were behind persistent stockouts. Buffers.ai’s diagnostic revealed the real issue: an internal receiving bottleneck that had been overlooked for years.

“These aren’t theoretical mistakes,” Usha said. “They’re real-world problems costing retailers millions.”

Retail analyst Maria Chen says the offering is gaining traction with new CEOs and turnaround teams: “With so much volatility ahead, nobody wants to walk into a boardroom or investor meeting blind. What Pini provides is operational x-ray vision—and a competitive edge.”

The diagnostic service is currently available at no cost through August, though Buffers.ai reports a growing waitlist. “Turns out,” Usha said, “no one wants to fly blind into Q4—especially this year.”