I had the privilege of joining the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS) recently to attend the IDSS Retail Conference 2018.
Held at the Microsoft New England Research and Development Center at MIT, the conference brought together experts from academia with industry thought leaders to discuss “Data Driven Disruption” impacting the retail sector.
Professor Dr. Munther Dahleh
Director of the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS), MIT
Along with attending the event, EnterWorks shared an exciting announcement – the naming of Professor Dr. Munther Dahleh to our Executive Advisory Board.
As a noted MIT scientist and Director of MIT IDSS, Dr. Dahleh will provide valuable insight in guiding EnterWorks’ vision for Artifical Intelligence (AI). Specifically, he will advise research and development efforts for the EnterWorks Enable™ platform in areas including machine learning and AI. A principal goal will be accelerating development of Enable’s cloud platform and integrations with a growing cloud-based ecosystem of advanced, science-oriented web services.
Takeaways from the 2018 IDSS Retail Conference
The IDSS Retail Conference explored the many ways the retail sector is evolving as a result of data analytics and computer science. Speakers included MIT faculty and industry VPs, data scientists, and Chief Algorithms Officers from leading retail companies.
Professor Dr. Munther Dahleh (Director of IDSS) and Elizabeth Sikorovsky (Executive Director of IDSS) share ideas at dinner with sponsors and retailers before the conference
Prediction and personalization were key themes throughout the day, as the conference covered questions such as:
- How can retailers extract useful insights from their customer data?
- How can they translate their data into predictions that help them deliver the right content at the right time?
- And how can they increase their operational efficiency and create unique online experiences using machine learning and AI?
Zineb Laraki (Deep Learning Senior Product Management, Salesforce.com) speaking on Einstein Object Detection
Tech Talk sessions delved into how retailers can deliver customized experiences using machine learning, optimize operations with deep learning, gain a competitive edge with AI, and build data science teams to implement new processes.
As the conference showed, translating data theory into relevant, accessible information for decision makers is a frequent challenge. “Consumable science” is the best science for businesses. It must be accessible to business decision makers in a repeatable, interactive manner.
Kamelia Aryafar (Chief Algorithms Officer of Overstock.com) presents during the IDSS Retail Conference 2018
EnterWorks is addressing this challenge with the Enable™ Multi-domain MDM platform – featuring our Agile Data Fabric™ and B2B2C model – that lays a foundation for better information validation and sharing within and across companies.
Our Combinatorial IntelligenceTM approach creates an insight ecosystem – combining products, customers, and suppliers master data – that enables companies to extract intelligence from customer data and deliver personalized experiences and offers. By providing effective validation of “content in context” across multiple domains, organizations gain greater precision in offers, i.e., the ability to deliver the right product to the right customer base, via the right channel, at the right time.
Interested in learning more about the future of AI and ML?
EnterWorks is hosting a new live webinar called “Machine Learning & AI“ on Thursday, December 6 at 11 am est.
Steven Keith Platt, research director for the Retail Analytics Council at Northwestern University, will join us to discuss:
- The truth about AI and Machine Learning – What’s real and what isn’t? Does your organization really need to invest in these tools?
- Where AI and Machine Learning will be in the future – Why is this important and what can you do to keep up with these changes? What do you need to know to maintain your company’s competitive advantage?
- How to get started – What key criteria should I consider when evaluating these tools? How do I present a business case to my executive team?
Register here to grab your spot.
Rick Chavie
Rick Chavie was appointed CEO of EnterWorks in May 2015. He came to EnterWorks after serving as SVP, Global Solution Management with hybris and SAP’s Customer Engagement and Commerce group, where he brought together digital and physical commerce and CRM assets for seamless customer experiences. Mr. Chavie brings industry experience from his leadership roles at retailers such as The Home Depot and C&A. He brings technology experience from his role as the global marketing leader for NCR’s retail and hospitality business, and management consulting expertise from his partner roles at Deloitte and Accenture, where he served clients across retail, branded consumer and wholesale verticals. Chavie is a Harvard MBA, a Fulbright Scholar in International Trade, and a summa cum laude graduate from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. He is a noted speaker at industry events, an author on the wholesale industry, and frequently comments on commerce, marketing and customer engagement topics.
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