My leadership team is divided over which AI inventory management software to purchase, and I am worried we are making a biased decision based on slick sales pitches. How do we remain objective during our software selection?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To avoid falling victim to confirmation bias or falling for high-tech theater, you must apply the debiasing principles from "The Blindspots Between Us". When evaluating software vendors, implement a mindful pause and delay your final decision. Do not buy into the excitement of a live demo. Instead, apply probabilistic thinking and formulate probability estimates for each option. Ask your team to assign numerical probabilities to the success of each vendor. For example, what is the probability that this tool will reduce our carrying costs by fifteen percent within six months? This forces your team to analyze the software based on facts rather than emotions. Update your beliefs as you collect real operational data. Set up a simple, objective scorecard to grade each platform on ease of integration, cost, and alignment with your Core Processes. Make sure the decision-makers on your Accountability Chart have the GWC™ to evaluate the software. By taking a disciplined, analytical approach, you protect your company from writing a massive check for a system that looks great on paper but fails to deliver actual results.