Build vs. Buy? Choosing the Right Path to Accelerate Enterprise AI

Blog / Build vs. Buy? Choosing the Right Path to Accelerate Enterprise AI

When organizations face the critical decision of whether to build or buy AI capabilities, they often weigh the benefits of control and customization against the speed and convenience of ready-to-use options. This dilemma is especially relevant in the enterprise AI landscape, where the right approach can drive digital transformation and sustainable growth.

The Build vs. Buy Conundrum

Building an in-house AI system provides complete control, enabling businesses to tailor every aspect to their specific needs and data assets. However, this approach is resource-intensive, requiring specialized expertise, significant investment, and ongoing maintenance. For many organizations, the costs and complexity of developing their own AI framework are not feasible.

On the other hand, purchasing off-the-shelf AI systems offers a quicker, simpler path. These pre-designed frameworks are ready to deploy and often come with features that simplify integration. However, they may not fully align with an organization’s unique needs, potentially limiting long-term scalability and flexibility.

Planning in a Box: The Enterprise AI Accelerator

Planning in a Box – an AI platform – addresses the build vs. buy dilemma by offering a built-in model with ample flexibility for customization. It provides businesses with a strong foundation for AI adoption while allowing them to tailor the solution as their needs evolve. This enterprise AI accelerator empowers companies to harness advanced AI capabilities quickly, with room for future growth.

Key Capabilities of Planning in a Box

• Information Ingestion Framework (IIF): Seamlessly integrates diverse data sources—from structured internal data (like ERP systems) to unstructured external data (such as social media trends and news), enabling comprehensive data processing.
• Master Ledger: The central hub that processes and transforms raw data into actionable insights, ensuring consistency and readiness for analysis across the business.
• Insights & Actions Recommender (IAR): Powered by generative AI, including Pi Agent—a conversational AI assistant—this feature provides real-time insights and actionable recommendations, keeping businesses ahead in their decision-making.

Meet Pi Agent: Your GenAI Planning Assistant

At the core of Planning in a Box is Pi Agent, genAI assistant. Pi Agent elevates planning from traditional forecasting to proactive, intelligent decision-making. Businesses using Pi Agent gain access to insights 10x faster and more accurately, automating decision-making processes that would otherwise require extensive manual input. 

Key Capabilities of Pi Agent

• Real-time analytics that identify trends as they emerge
• Conversational AI, enabling users to interact directly with their data
• Automated insights that drive smarter, faster decisions
• Customizable views, catering to the specific needs of different users
• Data governance, ensuring compliance with corporate and regulatory standards

Multi-Agent Collaboration: A Holistic Approach to AI

Planning in a Box goes beyond individual AI capabilities by supporting a collaborative, multi-agent approach with specialized AI agents—Ron, Kassy, and Alex—each dedicated to a critical area of supply chain management. Ron, the Demand Agent, forecasts product demand by analyzing sales data and market signals, ensuring that planning aligns with customer needs. Kassy, the Inventory Agent, optimizes inventory levels, making sure the right products are available in the right place at the right time to prevent stockouts and overstocking. Alex, the Financial Agent, tracks the financial impact of supply chain operations, analyzing costs related to inefficiencies, delays, and market fluctuations. Working together, these agents provide a more comprehensive and accurate view of business operations, enabling smarter decision-making and enhanced efficiency.

Why Choose Planning in a Box?

• Speed and Efficiency: By accelerating the AI journey, Planning in a Box enables businesses to achieve rapid results, with insights delivered 10x faster than traditional methods. Many companies experience measurable improvements within just 4 weeks of implementation.
• Scalability and Security: Built on Google Cloud Platform (GCP), the platform ensures robust scalability, utilizing Google’s cutting-edge AI infrastructure and stringent data governance protocols to securely scale operations.
• Seamless Integration: Planning in a Box integrates seamlessly with existing systems such as SAP, Oracle, and NetSuite, providing a unified view of operations and enhancing decision-making.
• Transparency and Customization: The Glassbox Methodology ensures transparency into AI models, empowering businesses to tailor the system to their specific needs without being locked into a vendor’s framework.
• Cost Efficiency: Planning in a Box minimizes upfront costs and delivers ROI starting within four weeks, making AI-powered supply chain optimization accessible to businesses of all sizes.

Empower Your AI Journey with Planning in a Box

Planning in a Box redefines how businesses approach the build vs. buy dilemma. By combining speed, scalability, and transparency, it enables companies to adopt AI rapidly, without compromising on customization. With Pi Agent and multi-agent collaboration, businesses can unlock the full potential of their data, driving smarter decisions and sustainable growth.

It’s not just a way to adopt AI; it’s a way to accelerate your AI journey and thrive in the digital age.