In this episode of Interlinks, I welcome back Fred Laluyaux, co-founder and CEO of Aera Technology, for his third appearance on the programme. Aera helps businesses improve and automate the thousands of decisions made every day across supply chain, procurement, finance and other operations, combining artificial intelligence with human expertise and oversight.
We explore why decision intelligence is reaching an inflection point, as companies move from experimentation and individual applications towards deployment across their organisations. Fred explains the shift from supplying people with better data to enabling systems to recommend, execute and learn from decisions, guided by people and business policies.
Our conversation covers capturing the knowledge held in employees’ heads, building an organisational memory of decisions and their outcomes, and connecting activities across departmental boundaries. We discuss practical applications in inventory management, forecasting, procurement, pricing and waste reduction, alongside the implications for leadership, organisational structures and the technology businesses use. We also examine trust, data quality, changing skills, the emerging role of the “decision architect”, and Fred’s perspective on AI’s impact on jobs and the future of work.
Fred previews Aera’s upcoming AeraHUB 26, the Decision Intelligence Global Summit, taking place in New York on 27–28 October 2026, with keynote sessions also available online. The event brings together customers, business leaders and industry partners to explore practical experience and developments in decision intelligence. Find out more about AeraHUB 26.
Viewed through the macro-to-micro perspective, this conversation illustrates how advances in AI and automation are now translating into practical capabilities on the front line of business. They are helping companies manage the multitude of operational and commercial decisions that determine what to buy, make, move and sell every day.
The timing matters. As geopolitical tensions and big-power rivalry turn global supply chains upside down, businesses need to respond faster, anticipate problems earlier and adapt with greater confidence. Decision intelligence offers a way to become more responsive, more proactive and more nimble—connecting technological progress at the macro level with better decisions and stronger performance at the micro level.
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