Asda unveils a new gen-AI initiative to help its execs make faster and better decisions

The supermarket giant appointed AI company Harley to modify its current gen-AI platform and provide Asda’s leadership with “live, actionable insights” to help its executives make faster, more informed decisions to improve performance.

The new platform works end-to-end and answers users’ questions in seconds, in the form of charts to visualise data, tables for calculations or plain text.

London-based Harley said the “successful proof of concept” for Asda has been designed to be scalable so that the benefits of AI-driven insights can be leveraged across the grocer’s entire operations.

Initial applications focused on executive decisions in “high-pressure environments” such as board meetings.

The collaboration means Harley can provide Asda with real-time descriptive analytics on datasets, such as sales growth in a specific store, or data on how weather and availability affected sales.

Driving data for executive users

Simon Jury, Asda vice president of data and analytics, said: “Harley’s real-time AI solution is the future of how people are going to interact with data. 

“By integrating into Asda’s data ecosystem, the collaboration unlocks new levels of operational agility through rapid data-driven decision-making, setting a new standard within the retail industry.”

Harley chief executive and co-founder Alex Banks said: “Harley’s engine offers rapid insights into your data, helping influence the highest-level decisions within an organisation. 

“This collaboration underscores our shared commitment to redefining retail excellence, proving that the right data at the right time can be a game-changer in how businesses respond to market dynamics.

“We look forward to working alongside Asda, where I’m confident data-driven insights will become the cornerstone of competitive advantage in this fast-changing sector.”