From data to decision: how AI is redefining the role of managers

A decade ago, strategic decisions were largely guided by the experience and intuition of leaders. Today, that scenario has changed radically. By 2026, the combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive Business Intelligence (predictive BI) is reshaping the role of the modern manager, from a decision-maker based on feeling to an evidence-driven leader.

According to Gartner, by the end of 2026, more than 65% of high-impact business decisions will be automated or assisted by AI. This transformation is already underway, and companies that embrace it are reaping tangible results: faster decisions, less risk, and greater profitability.

The New Era of Decision Making

For a long time, the decision-making process in organizations depended on manual reports, time-consuming analyses, and opinion-based meetings. The consequence? Delayed responses, missed opportunities, and high cost of error.

AI has changed this paradigm. Today, intelligent analytical engines are capable of processing millions of data in seconds, cross-referencing variables, and presenting predictive insights – that is, not only what happened, but what will happen and what to do about it.

Managers now have access to real-time alerts, simulated scenarios, and automatic action recommendations. It's the birth of analytical automation, which doesn't replace human reasoning, but amplifies it, allowing leaders to spend less time searching for data and more time acting strategically.

Predictive BI: the co-pilot of intelligent decisions

Predictive BI is the heart of this new management. It combines machine learning algorithms, behavioral analysis, and statistical modeling to anticipate market movements, predict demand fluctuations, and identify risks before they become problems.

Imagine a sales manager who, instead of discovering a drop in sales at the end of the month, receives an intelligent alert pointing to the declining trend and the probable cause, for example, a change in the behavior of a customer segment. In seconds, it can adjust campaigns, review prices, or reinforce the customer service team.

That's the logic behind Sherlok: transforming data analysis into direct and measurable actions, offering leaders a strategic co-pilot that learns from the company's context and acts with precision in real time.

From feeling to foundation: data-driven management

A McKinsey study shows that data-driven organizations are 23 times more likely to acquire new customers and 19 times more likely to be profitable. The reason is simple: data-driven management eliminates guesswork and replaces improvisation with actionable intelligence.

But this transition requires more than technology; it demands cultural change. Being a data-driven company means teaching leaders and teams to trust the numbers, interpret insights, and act quickly.

Tools like Sherlok simplify this process by translating complex data into clear narratives, connecting indicators to business results. This is how BI ceases to be a dashboard and becomes a living decision-making platform.

The future of the manager is augmented by AI

The manager of the future, which is already beginning to emerge in 2026, will be a hybrid figure: strategic, analytical, and driven by augmented intelligence. They will continue to use intuition, but now supported by facts, predictive models, and analytical automation.

With the advancement of AI, leaders will have the ability to predict trends, prioritize investments, and mitigate risks even before they occur. It's the beginning of an era where the right decision doesn't depend on luck, but on science.

Intelligence is in the data and in the action!

In the corporate world, information without action is just noise. The competitive advantage lies in those who transform data into action, and that's exactly what solutions like Sherlok enable.

By combining AI, predictive BI, and analytical automation, Sherlok acts as the strategic co-pilot for companies, guiding leaders in quick, intelligent, and results-oriented decisions. In 2026, success will not be defined by who has the most data, but by who acts best upon it, and artificial intelligence is the link that connects insight to execution.