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.

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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/

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/

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.

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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/