Businesses looking to deploy generative AI have quickly learned it isn’t a silver bullet solution. Business is complex and is fraught with compliance issues, shifting consumer behavior, supply chain disruptions, material shortages, staffing challenges and other variables too many to name.

Business leaders can not simply implement generative AI and immediately see results. Deploying generative AI requires a clear strategy for each type of use — whether it’s for marketing and customer engagement or product sourcing and development. This is where Aria Intelligent Solutions, a newly merged consultancy, aims to help.

The agency said it provides an innovative mix of cutting-edge, low-cost AI technology and practical expertise to the retail, CPG, pharmaceutical and hospitality sectors. “The brand brings together state-of-the-art AI solution providers Aria’s Science and expert retail consultants Thought Provoking Consulting, who offer a unique market-leading proposition for businesses worldwide,” the company said in a statement, adding that the goal is to help clients boost margins and productivity via optimization of inventory management, pricing strategies and operational efficiency.

Aria Intelligent Solutions is led by Subir Gupta, chief executive officer; Debonil Chowdhury, chief data scientist, and Richard Hyman, director of strategy. Previously to the formation of the company, Aria’s Science and TPC have worked with companies such as Unilever, Primark, John Lewis, Currys, The Very Group and Roche, among others.

Regarding the impetus behind the merger, Gupta said, “how to harness AI and where to start is increasingly top of mind at the boards of consumer companies. This merger offers clear answers to these critical questions based on hard practical experience with leading companies that we work with. TPC has worked successfully with Aria’s Science for years and this merger will further leverage each other’s capabilities.”

What sets Aria Intelligent Solutions apart is a value proposition that leverages data science to inform business strategies. “Artificial intelligence, especially generative AI, is transforming paradigms, facilitating predictive precision and strategic foresight on scales previously unattainable,” Chowdhury said. “Aria’s Science has driven this transformation, turning complex data into actionable intelligence. Through our merger with TPC, we’ll fuse these advanced capabilities into broader business strategies, enhancing decision-making and operational agility.”

The company said while many brands are using leading AI solutions, “Aria is one of the few consultancies blending data-driven technology with business consulting expertise.” The consulting approach is tailored to each client. “Consumer markets everywhere are under unprecedented pressure, with too much supply and too little demand, as wars and weather impact costs and spending power, and leadership teams are having to make vastly more decisions with greater frequency,” Hyman said. “AI is increasingly touted as a potential solution, though it is not plug-and-play — every business is different and needs experience and specialist support. This is the market rationale for merging our two businesses, where we can best provide this support.”

To celebrate the merger, the company is hosting an invite-only launch event on Feb. 19 in London.