From Data to Decisions: Why Supply Chains Are Automating Thinking, Not Just Doing

Aera Technology and Lokad both argue that supply chains struggling with volatility are facing a decision-making crisis—not a data shortage.

Decision-Making Is the Real Bottleneck

For all the talk of digital transformation, many supply chains today are choking on complexity. There’s no shortage of dashboards, alerts, or reports. What’s missing, according to two companies pushing the frontiers of decision automation, is the ability to turn all that data into coordinated, reliable action.

Fred Laluyaux on Decision Intelligence

“The digitization of the economy has created a paradox,” says Fred Laluyaux, CEO of Aera Technology. “Companies have more data than ever before, but the volume and complexity of that data is outpacing their ability to make decisions with the speed and precision required.”

Aera calls its solution "Decision Intelligence" (DI): a tech layer that combines analytics, AI, and automation to optimize and execute decisions across functions—from procurement to inventory to logistics. Unlike traditional tools that merely flag problems, DI offers a prescriptive path forward, enabling what Laluyaux describes as “a shift from people making decisions supported by machines, to machines making decisions guided by people.”

The shift, he argues, is not just philosophical. It’s operational. Aera points to a global high-tech firm that saw a 50% cost reduction after deploying DI to optimize and automate its inventory decisions. “What’s exciting is how quickly the impact becomes visible,” Laluyaux adds. “Each optimized decision strengthens the next. It’s a flywheel of improvement.”

But not everyone is convinced you need a branded DI platform to make smarter calls. Conor E. Doherty, Director of Marketing at Lokad, says most supply chains are overcomplicating optimization.

Fred Laluyaux, Co-Founder and CEO, Aera Technology

“At its core, supply chain optimization means better decisions. Period,” says Doherty. “We’re talking about allocating cash: where to move products, when to build inventory, and how to prioritize orders. Each decision carries its own expected ROI. If you're not sorting by that, you're flying blind.”

Lokad’s ROI-First Approach

Lokad advocates for algorithmic decision-making powered by probabilistic forecasting and ROI-ranked decision matrices. It's less about flashy AI and more about clarity: make choices that generate measurable value, based on quantifiable outcomes.

“Sorting decisions by ROI is the purest way to diagnose impact,” Doherty says. “Either the decision makes more money, or it doesn’t. End of analysis.”

Both companies agree on one thing: the volume and frequency of decisions required to manage modern supply chains can no longer be handled manually. The real digital transformation isn’t more visibility—it’s more decisiveness.

If you’re a supply chain expert with a story to share - we’d love to hear from you. Reach out at editor@thesupplychainer.com