{"id":8680,"date":"2026-03-27T13:29:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T18:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mhisolutionsmag.com\/?p=8680"},"modified":"2026-03-27T08:07:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T13:07:26","slug":"turning-strategy-into-results-the-ai-advantage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mhisolutionsmag.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/27\/turning-strategy-into-results-the-ai-advantage\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning Strategy Into Results: The AI Advantage"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Building high\u2011performing supply chains and achieving other key business objectives starts with a clear strategic vision, but even the most brilliant strategies often fail due to poor execution, stranding organizations short of their goals and leaving billions in unrealized value on the table. Experts see potential in leveraging artificial intelligence to overcome barriers to implementing strategy and close the strategy\u2011execution gap.<\/h4>\n
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BY DAVID H. COBURN<\/span><\/div>\n
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W<\/span>HEN FORMER WALMART<\/strong> CEO Doug McMillon announced the retail behemoth had used a generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool to optimize its search function, making it faster and easier for online shoppers to find what they\u2019re looking for, it was just another example of the company\u2019s success in bringing a core strategic vision to life.<\/p>\n

The generative AI project, which, along with others, has juiced e\u2011commerce sales by 20% annually since 2024, was the latest in a string of initiatives the world\u2019s largest retailer has implemented across its supply chain to deliver on its high\u2011level strategy of driving growth by enhancing the customer experience.<\/p>\n

Walmart\u2019s consistent growth over six decades provides a resounding answer to the question posed rhetorically by the author of a circa\u20111995 case study: “Why is Wal\u2011Mart so successful? Is it Good Strategy or Good Strategy Implementation?”<\/p>\n

Few observers today would disagree with the author\u2019s conclusion that the company has succeeded beyond Sam Walton\u2019s dreams “not only because it makes sound strategic management decisions but also for its innovative implementation of those strategic decisions.”<\/p>\n

Indeed, Walmart has mastered what, for many companies, is a daunting challenge: not just developing a winning strategy but executing it successfully. Most companies fall short of their broader objectives not because their strategic vision is flawed, but because they fail to turn strategy into action.<\/p>\n

Cesare Mainardi, former CEO of Booz & Company and now an adjunct professor of strategy at Northwestern University\u2019s Kellogg School of Management, uses the term “coherence” to describe alignment between strategy and execution. In his view, companies achieve coherence by leveraging capabilities that differentiate them from competitors and by focusing execution relentlessly on strengthening those capabilities to create sustained competitive advantage.<\/p>\n

“Companies that connect what they promise\u2014their value proposition to customers\u2014to what they do better than their competition outperform and win,” Mainardi said. “In short, they succeed because they are far more coherent than their competitors. This is the \u2018what\u2019 of a successful strategy. The \u2018how\u2019 requires connecting strategy to execution, and this is where most companies fail.”<\/p>\n

The strategy\u2011execution gap is real, and its impact on organizations\u2019 competitiveness and financial strength is substantial. Statistics drawn from a range of strategy and execution studies paint a picture of the scope of the problem:<\/p>\n