Enterprise planning software provider o9 Solutions has appointed Krishnakumar Kulankara as Chief Operating Officer (COO), strengthening its leadership team as the company prepares to expand adoption of its next-generation AI-powered planning platform for retailers, manufacturers and consumer goods companies.

The appointment comes as supermarkets and FMCG businesses increasingly invest in artificial intelligence to improve demand forecasting, inventory management and supply chain resilience. Kulankara will oversee the operational transformation needed to accelerate deployment of o9’s new APEX (Agile, Adaptive, Autonomous Planning & Execution) model across global customers.

Rather than being a routine executive appointment, the move reflects o9’s strategy to help enterprises modernise planning and execution using AI, automation and data-driven decision-making.

The company said Kulankara has spent more than a decade leading delivery, product development and commercial operations across the business. In his new role, he will coordinate cross-functional teams responsible for scaling APEX adoption while improving operational efficiency across the organisation.

For supermarkets, the announcement highlights the growing importance of AI-powered planning platforms that can respond more quickly to volatile consumer demand, supply disruptions and inventory challenges. Enterprise planning software is becoming a critical technology for retailers seeking to improve product availability while reducing waste and excess stock.

o9’s Digital Brain platform is already used across multiple industries to connect forecasting, demand planning, supply planning, commercial operations and execution into a single decision-making environment. The company’s new APEX framework builds on that platform by combining enterprise knowledge models with generative AI and agentic AI to automate routine planning tasks while supporting faster operational decisions.

The technology is designed to help businesses identify supply chain bottlenecks, improve forecast accuracy, optimise inventory levels and continuously refine planning processes through AI-driven analysis.

For grocery retailers and FMCG manufacturers, these capabilities are becoming increasingly valuable as supply chains face ongoing pressure from inflation, shifting consumer demand, geopolitical uncertainty and increasingly complex product portfolios.

The appointment also reflects a wider trend across enterprise software providers as they move beyond traditional supply chain planning systems toward autonomous planning platforms capable of supporting real-time business decisions.

While supermarkets have invested heavily in warehouse automation and digital logistics over recent years, many retailers are now focusing on AI-based planning tools that connect procurement, merchandising, forecasting and replenishment into integrated decision-making systems.

As more retailers adopt AI across their supply chains, enterprise planning platforms such as o9 are expected to play a larger role in helping supermarket operators balance inventory availability, reduce operational costs and improve service levels.

What happens next?

Under Kulankara’s leadership, o9 is expected to accelerate the commercial rollout of its APEX planning model while expanding AI-powered planning capabilities for retailers, manufacturers and consumer goods companies. As supermarkets continue investing in digital supply chains, enterprise planning platforms that combine predictive analytics, generative AI and autonomous decision-making are likely to become increasingly important for improving forecasting accuracy, inventory optimisation and supply chain resilience.

This reflects a broader shift in US retail technology, where grocery retailers and FMCG businesses are increasingly adopting AI-driven planning platforms to improve inventory availability, strengthen supply chain resilience and respond more quickly to changing consumer demand.

Editor’s Note: This article is based on information released by o9 Solutions and has been written from the perspective of grocery retail and supply chain technology. Global Supermarket News has focused on the operational relevance of the announcement for supermarkets, FMCG manufacturers and retail supply chains, with additional industry context added for editorial clarity.