Secret Life of Inventory
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Secret Life of Inventory
The AI Playbook: How To Get Started with AI in Operations (ft. Metalinked CEO)
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AI is changing the way manufacturers and supply chain teams work, but where should you actually start?
In this episode, we sit down with Rehaan Bicha, the Co-Founder and CEO of Metalinked, to explore how businesses can approach AI in operations without getting caught up in the hype.
Rehaan shares insights from his hands-on experience building AI products for manufacturing and supply chain, including where businesses have the biggest data gaps, how to identify workflows worth automating, and where human judgment still matters.
We also get into one of the biggest trends in AI right now: vibe coding. While AI can make it easier than ever to build your own tools, Rehaan explains why operational software needs more than just a working prototype, especially when security, reliability, and business-critical data are involved.
Whether you're just starting to explore AI or already experimenting with it, this episode offers a practical look at where AI can fit into your operations and what to consider before handing important workflows over to it.
00:00 - Teaser
00:25 - Intro
01:50 - Building Metalinked & Modernizing Supply Chains
03:31 - How Hands-On Experience Shapes AI Products
04:59 - The Biggest Data Gaps in Manufacturing
06:04 - Where Operations Leaders Should Start with AI
07:48 - AI Advantages for Smaller Manufacturers
08:49 - Identifying the Best Workflows to Automate
11:06 - AI vs. Traditional Manufacturing Software
12:49 - When to be Cautious About Automation
14:29 - Workflows Requiring Human Oversight
15:58 - Processes Never to Fully Automate
17:20 - Veteran Worker vs. AI Recommendation
19:33 - Real-World AI ROI & Use Cases
23:09 - Key Metrics to Track AI Success
24:17 - The First Metric SMBs Should Focus On
26:52 - Top Mistakes When Adopting AI
29:08 - The Dangers of Vibe Coding Operational Tools
31:22 - Vibe Coding Failures & Hacking Risks
33:19 - The Hardest Parts of Vibe Coding to Get Right
34:20 - Hidden Costs of Vibe Coding
36:18 - The Importance of Reliable & Trusted Data
38:21 - Evaluating AI Without a Tech Background
39:32 - Questions to Ask AI Vendors Before Investing
42:09 - SOC 2 Compliance Explained
43:09 - The Future of AI in Supply Chain
46:52 - Autonomous AI vs. AI as a Tool
48:30 - Final Advice for Inventory Leaders
49:13 - Outro
⬇️ Resources:
Explore Metalinked: https://metalinked.ai/
Follow Rehaan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rehaanbicha/
✅ Try inFlow Inventory for free and never run out of stock:
https://www.inflowinventory.com/
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