Question 1

What is a behavioral assessment, and how is it different from a standard AI evaluation?

Accepted Answer

A standard AI evaluation typically measures statistical performance — forecast accuracy, error rates, benchmark scores. A behavioral assessment evaluates how the system makes decisions under real operational conditions: how it responds to demand volatility, whether its recommendations respect your constraints, how it handles missing or late data, and whether its outputs are stable enough for planners to trust. Behavioral assessment answers the question your procurement process cannot: will this system actually work in my operations?

Question 2

Which types of supply chain AI does METRAI evaluate?

Accepted Answer

METRAI evaluates planning AI across four domains: demand planning and forecasting, store replenishment and computer-assisted ordering, allocation (including fashion and seasonal inventory), and DC-level inventory planning. If you are evaluating a system that spans multiple domains — for example, an integrated planning platform — we structure the assessment to cover each relevant decision type.

Question 3

Can METRAI evaluate a system we are already using, not just vendors we are considering?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Many engagements involve evaluating an incumbent system — either to identify where it is underperforming, to build a business case for replacement, or to establish a behavioral baseline before a major upgrade. The assessment process is the same regardless of whether the system is live or under evaluation.

Question 4

How long does a behavioral assessment take?

Accepted Answer

A focused single-domain assessment typically takes two to four weeks from data access to final report. A multi-vendor comparison across multiple planning domains may take four to six weeks. Timeline depends on the number of vendors, the complexity of your constraint profile, and the availability of representative historical data.

Question 5

What do we need to provide to run an assessment?

Accepted Answer

We work with your team to define the scenarios that matter most for your business. You provide access to representative historical data — demand history, order history, constraint parameters — and the vendor provides system access or output data for the scenarios we define. We do not require production system access; most assessments run on a defined scenario set with vendor-provided outputs.

Question 6

Is METRAI independent of AI vendors?

Accepted Answer

Yes. METRAI has no commercial relationship with any planning AI vendor. We do not receive referral fees, partnership revenue, or any other compensation from vendors whose systems we evaluate. Our only commercial relationship is with the companies that commission assessments. This independence is the foundation of the assessment's value — if we had vendor relationships, the results would not be credible.

Question 7

What does the final report include?

Accepted Answer

The final report includes a behavioral certification for each system evaluated, stress-test results across the scenarios we ran, a decision profile describing how each system makes choices under different conditions, a planner trust score based on explainability and recommendation stability, and a fit recommendation that maps each system's behavioral profile to your specific operational requirements. The report is designed to be presented to a procurement committee or board.

Question 8

How do we get started?

Accepted Answer

The first step is a conversation with our founder to discuss your evaluation context — which systems you are considering, which planning domains are in scope, and what your timeline looks like. From there, we scope the assessment and agree on the scenario set before any data is shared. Use the 'Talk to the Founder' button on this page to start that conversation.

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