DecisionAI: Leading Data-Driven Commercial Transformation in the Metal Industry

Junchang Shi is a distinguished leader in digital transformation and industrial strategy, with over 17 years of experience across engineering, management consulting, and corporate strategy. His professional journey includes leading roles at Schneider Electric, McKinsey & Company, and Corning Inc., where he has continuously demonstrated the ability to deliver business impact through the integration of technology, data, and strategic insight.
As an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, Junchang Shi served some of the most prominent companies in the basic materials sector, with a strong focus on steel, pulp & paper, and specialty materials. It was during this time that he identified a critical and underserved opportunity in the steel industry: while many companies had invested in digital tools to improve production efficiency, their commercial operations—procurement, pricing, product mix decisions—remained highly experience-driven, inconsistent, and lacking data support.
In response, Junchang Shi initiated and led the creation of DecisionAI, a proprietary digital solution designed to transform how commercial decisions are made. Positioned as a "virtual CxO councilor," DecisionAI uses real-time data, intelligent algorithms, and visual interfaces to guide and optimize key business decisions such as iron ore procurement, scrap steel ratio adjustment, pricing strategies, and product portfolio optimization.
Under Junchang Shi’s leadership, the DecisionAI project not only bridged a major digitalization gap in the metal industry but also achieved measurable and repeatable success: clients reported profit increases of $15–$30 per ton of steel produced—equating to $75–$150 million in annual gains for large producers.
This innovation was delivered despite challenges typical in traditional industries, such as resistance to change, data fragmentation, and organizational silos. Junchang Shi overcame these hurdles by building a high-performing, cross-disciplinary team and fostering collaboration between technical experts and business executives.
Through this project, Junchang Shi demonstrated outstanding IT leadership by translating strategic vision into a transformative digital product that is now reshaping decision-making practices in one of the world’s most complex industries.