Discover
Build a pool of product candidates from available marketplace signals and research. Capture the initial reason for interest, whether it is a pricing pattern, a category trend, or a possible sourcing advantage.
How It Works
From the first signal to the next informed decision.
Our operating framework follows eight stages: Discover, Filter, Analyze, Rank, Research, Source, Launch, and Learn. It is designed to keep the evidence, assumptions, and next steps connected as a product moves from an initial idea toward a commercial decision.
THE OPERATING FRAMEWORK
Every stage answers a different question.
This is the process guiding ACI development and our commerce approach. A candidate can be paused, rejected, or returned for more research at any stage; progressing through the framework is not a promise of launch.
Filter
Apply the business constraints early: product eligibility, category fit, budget, and minimum economic requirements. Set aside candidates that do not meet the criteria and flag missing information for review.
Analyze
Develop the commercial case using demand evidence, estimated costs, competition, and inventory requirements. Test how margin and cash exposure change when the key assumptions move against the business.
Rank
Compare candidates using consistent evaluation criteria and the strength of the supporting evidence. Use the ranking to prioritize research effort; a high score still requires a review of the underlying assumptions.
Research
Investigate the questions most likely to change the decision. Validate important inputs, review competing explanations, and record where evidence remains incomplete or contradictory.
Source
Assess potential suppliers, quotations, lead times, order quantities, and documentation. Update the economics with sourcing evidence and identify requirements that must be resolved before a purchase.
Launch
For an approved opportunity, define a controlled test or launch with a clear budget and review criteria. Make the purchasing decision deliberately, with attention to execution requirements and inventory exposure.
Learn
Compare observed outcomes with the original assumptions when results become available. Use the differences to refine research criteria, cost estimates, and future decisions; automated outcome learning remains a development objective.
The reasoning should stay with the decision.
A useful record shows why a product was considered, which assumptions mattered, what remained uncertain, and why it advanced or stopped. That continuity is central to the ACI platform we are building.
See how ACI supports the process