This piece accompanies a dedicated series from Ben around intelligence, A.I, and data-driven design and development in retail – all of which you can find in our 7th Edition. Similarly, you will find references to other'features', which denote to the other editorial pieces in our 7th Edition Report.] Just as WhichPLM did for both of our previous special editorial examinations (covering 3D in 2015, and the Internet of Things in 2016) the last exclusive feature in our 7th Edition acts as the final piece of the puzzle, collecting guidance, food for thought, and practical recommendations for retailers and brands who may be looking to lay the long-term groundwork for their own A.I. initiatives, or to embark on a particular, more pressing project. The clearest question for prospective customers of A.I. solutions: are these viable products, with clear return on investment potential? Broadly speaking, the answer is yes. While general intelligence – a single machine to run everything, with mental capacities far in excess of our own, across essentially all of human endeavour – remains a pipe dream, more focused applications of narrow, specialised A.I. are limited only by customers' ability to find the right technology partner and to gain access to their own information and broader market data in sufficient volume to deliver results.