Why Traditional Customer Data Is Dead: The New Playbook for Retail Success with Russ Hawkins

Episode Summary:

On this episode of Food Tech Talk: Supply Chain Insights from Farm to Fork, Lydia Adams sits down with Russ Hawkins, President and CEO of Agilence Inc., to explore how data analytics and AI are reshaping the way restaurants and retailers operate. Russ shares how businesses are turning massive amounts of data into clear, actionable insights that drive better decision-making across the board—from improving customer experiences to tightening up operational efficiency.

Throughout the conversation, Russ explains how companies can strike a healthy balance between personalization and privacy. He also dives into the challenges restaurants face with managing multiple delivery platforms and how a new generation of tools is helping them streamline that process. You’ll hear about the growing role of natural language processing and how it’s making data more accessible to teams who don’t have a technical background.

Digital Download: Future Focused Food Tech: Key Drivers & Trends

Russ also breaks down how AI can be applied in different departments, including software development and customer service. He outlines a practical framework for using transaction data to enhance performance and security. Plus, he shares how AI-powered monitoring tools are helping companies train teams faster and operate more efficiently without adding friction.