# AI Fulfillment Engines IBM's Watson Order Optimizer Learns Intelligently and Makes Predictions By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2019-01-21 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/watson-order-optimizer References: [prnewswire](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ibm-showcases-new-ai-innovations-at-nrf-2019-to-help-retail-industry-accelerate-customer-experience-300778330.html) & [ibm](https://www.ibm.com/industries/retail-consumer-products) At NRF 2019, the [National Retail Federation's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/toteai) Big Show, [IBM](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/center-for-excellence-for-generative-ai) introduced AI-powered innovations like the [Watson](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ncr-voyix) Order Optimizer to support improved business performance and customer experience, especially when it comes to meeting the needs of the next generation of customers. The AI-powered Watson Order Optimization can be integrated with IBM Order Management (OMS) is capable of learning the needs of a retailer's fulfillment network and intelligently respond to changes based on predictive models—for instance, Watson Order Optimizer is said to be able to "help increase purchase conversions by quickly adapting to seasonal fluctuations, while scaling fulfillment capacity." As a result of implementing Watson Order Optimization, retailers are able to reduce shipping costs, improve customer delivery experiences and provide access to insights that are relevant to the behaviors and preferences of target consumers. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.5/10 - Popularity: 28% | Activity: 40% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) > [Retail](https://www.trendhunter.com/retail) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **AI-powered Fulfillment:** AI-powered fulfillment engines like IBM's Watson Order Optimizer are disrupting the retail industry by intelligently adapting to changes and increasing purchase conversions. - **Predictive Analytics:** The use of predictive models in fulfillment networks is disrupting the retail industry by allowing retailers to quickly adapt to seasonal fluctuations and scale fulfillment capacity. - **Improved Customer Experiences:** By implementing AI-powered fulfillment engines like Watson Order Optimization, retailers can reduce shipping costs, improve customer delivery experiences, and provide insights relevant to target consumers' behaviors and preferences. ### Where This Applies - **Retail:** AI-powered fulfillment engines have the potential to disrupt the retail industry by improving business performance and customer experience. - **Supply Chain:** The integration of AI-powered fulfillment engines with order management systems has the potential to disrupt the supply chain industry by reducing shipping costs and increasing scalability. - **Data Analytics:** The use of predictive analytics in fulfillment networks has the potential to disrupt the data analytics industry by providing retailers with valuable insights into consumer behaviors and preferences. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [AI-Based Order Recommendations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ezcater-smart-ordering.md) - [AI Retail Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/instore-customer-journeys.md) - [AI Restaurant Operations Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/iorder.md) - [Emotionally Intelligent Retailer Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/artificial-intelligence-platform.md) - [AI-Powered Automation Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lightspeed.md) - [AI-Powered Retail Inventory Solutions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/afresh-technologies.md) - [AI Commerce Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/imerchai.md) - [AI Retail Innovation Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hyperfinity-ai.md) - [GenAI Planogram Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/realgram-ai.md)