When our team first considered implementing artificial intelligence for managing dealer incentive programs and promotional campaigns, we faced skepticism from both our OEM partners and internal stakeholders. The automotive industry has always been relationship-driven, particularly when it comes to trade promotions that directly impact dealer networks and fleet partnerships. The idea that algorithms could optimize what seasoned sales directors had been managing through experience and intuition seemed almost heretical. Yet, three years into our AI transformation journey, I can confidently say that the lessons learned have fundamentally reshaped how we approach promotional strategy across our entire connected mobility ecosystem. The catalyst for change came during a quarterly review when we discovered that nearly 40% of our promotional budgets were going toward incentives that generated minimal incremental sales volume. Traditional trade promotion management relied on historical patterns ...