On-Demand Webinar · 45 min

What It Actually Takes to Build an AI Tool in Supply Chain

In one afternoon we built a working AI tool. Over a year we turned it into something customers run every day. Here's exactly how — the good, the bad, and the parts that broke.

Most AI in supply chain right now is either wildly over-hyped or just vaporware. This session is the honest version. Chain.io's Brian Glick, Christa Hinkel, and Larry Singleton walk through how we built Checks — our AI-powered shipment compliance tool — from a one-day prototype to real customer pilots across China, India, and Germany. You'll leave with a practical playbook for building your own: what you can do yourself, when to bring in an IT partner, and when to stop building and start benefiting.

What you'll learn (and where to jump)

(03:05) The one question to answer before you write a single line of code. Why the team spent months here first — and why skipping it is the most common mistake.
(07:15) How to go from idea to a working tool in a single afternoon. No database, no dev team, no IT ticket.
(09:49) The wall you'll hit on day two. What "it doesn't work" really looks like, and how to push through it.
(11:59) A pilot that gave the wrong answer — and the surprising root cause. Hint: it wasn't the AI.
(16:04) The unscripted moment a customer went off-script. They asked for something we hadn't planned. We tried it live. Here's what happened.
(19:26) Why your expectations for these tools are too low. How to find the real ceiling instead of asking easy questions.
(21:17) The flashy interface we built, scrapped, and rebuilt. The design rule that finally made it usable across three continents.
(28:06) The decision that determines whether your tool saves time or becomes a second job. Keep it on your desk, or scale it — choose on purpose.
(30:25) When to bring in a partner — and why software companies aren't going away. The 3 a.m. question that changes everything.
(31:59) How to know when you're done. The underrated discipline of stopping.

Prefer to watch start to finish? It's 45 minutes well spent.

Speakers

Brian Glick — Founder & CEO, Chain.io
Christa Hinkel — Chief of Staff, Chain.io
Larry Singleton — Sr. Enterprise Account Executive, Chain.io

Curious what this looks like in practice? Take a look at Checks, or start a conversation about what you're building.

Ready to see what needs attention?

Try Checks with your own spreadsheet. AI finds the issues—you decide what matters.

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