Why Traditional Customer Data Is Dead—The New Playbook for Retail Success with Russ Hawkins
June 24, 2025
In this episode of Food Tech Talk: Supply Chain Insights from Farm to Fork, host Lydia Adams sits down with Russ Hawkins, President and CEO of Agilence Inc., to explore how businesses can leverage data analytics, AI, and automation while maintaining exceptional customer experiences. From managing multiple delivery platforms to implementing AI solutions, Russ shares invaluable insights on turning data into actionable business intelligence. Whether you're looking to improve operational efficiency, reduce loss, or enhance customer satisfaction, this conversation offers practical strategies for staying competitive in today's rapidly evolving retail and restaurant landscape.
🌱 Introducing AskReg by Trustwell – Your AI-Powered Regulatory Assistant. From food safety to nutritional labeling, get fast, accurate answers backed by verified sources — across the U.S., Canada, EU, and more. Just $299/year – and get 25% off with code PODCAST25. To claim your discount, visit AskReg AI Software Options | Trustwell
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.
🌱 Introducing AskReg by Trustwell – Your AI-Powered Regulatory Assistant. From food safety to nutritional labeling, get fast, accurate answers backed by verified sources — across the U.S., Canada, EU, and more. Just $299/year – and get 25% off with code PODCAST25. To claim your discount, visit AskReg AI Software Options | Trustwell
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.
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.
Listeners will gain a clearer understanding of what it takes to scale a tech-driven company in the restaurant and retail space. Russ emphasizes the importance of giving more employees access to data, allowing for faster, more informed decisions. Toward the end of the episode, he offers his take on how AI and automation will continue to evolve, and why maintaining a personal touch still matters, even as technology takes center stage.
🌱 Introducing AskReg by Trustwell – Your AI-Powered Regulatory Assistant. From food safety to nutritional labeling, get fast, accurate answers backed by verified sources — across the U.S., Canada, EU, and more. Just $299/year – and get 25% off with code PODCAST25. To claim your discount, visit AskReg AI Software Options | Trustwell
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.
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.
Listeners will gain a clearer understanding of what it takes to scale a tech-driven company in the restaurant and retail space. Russ emphasizes the importance of giving more employees access to data, allowing for faster, more informed decisions. Toward the end of the episode, he offers his take on how AI and automation will continue to evolve, and why maintaining a personal touch still matters, even as technology takes center stage.
Food Tech Talk: Supply Chain Insights From Farm to Fork is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so
Check out our three most downloaded episodes:
Check out our three most downloaded episodes: