Businesses Urged to Use AI for Faster, Measurable Decision-Making
Digital marketing practitioner and CEO of Kreta Digital, Aldo Pasha Permana, shared his views on changing consumer behaviour, the importance of building a digital presence, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to help business owners make faster and more measurable decisions. Drawing on more than 12 years of experience in digital marketing and business development, Aldo said technology is not just about trends. He also provided examples relevant to business activities, from building branding and reading customer responses to processing sales data and using AI as a tool to identify business growth opportunities.
According to Aldo, the challenge for business owners today is not only keeping up with technological developments but also understanding which technology suits their business needs. “Digitalisation does not have to start with complicated processes or expensive technology. Business owners can begin with simple things, such as understanding customers through sales data, reading consumer reviews, strengthening digital presence, and using AI to help spot things that may previously have been overlooked,” Aldo said while speaking at the Sumatera Witel Catch Up – Riau Edition event themed ‘Go Digital, Stay Relevant: Ngobrolin Digitalisasi, AI, Bisnis & Pengalaman di Dunia Nyata’, at Keboon Kopi, Batam, Thursday (27/8/2026).
In his presentation, Aldo also explained that AI is not there to replace the role of business owners. The technology can serve as a companion in reading business conditions, formulating the right questions, and providing alternative actions based on available data. “AI does not replace the owner in making decisions. AI helps the owner see their business more clearly. The final decision still requires experience, understanding of customers, and intuition from the person running the business,” he explained.
Aldo is Co-Founder and CEO of Kreta Digital, a digital marketing and creative agency based in Batam. Throughout his professional career, he has been involved in developing digital strategies, marketing, branding, SEO, advertising, and communications for various types of businesses. This experience meant his material did not stop at concepts but also illustrated the challenges and application of digitalisation in everyday business.
He hopes more business owners, especially SMEs in the Riau Islands, will begin to see technology and AI as tools that can be used practically according to their respective capabilities and needs. “Not all businesses have to use the same strategy. What matters is having the courage to start, understanding business goals, and then choosing technology that can genuinely help. Businesses that are willing to learn and adapt will have a greater chance of remaining relevant,” Aldo said.
The Sumatera Witel Catch Up – Riau Edition was a collaborative event between Sumatera Witel Telkom and Tangan Di Atas (TDA) Kepulauan Riau Region. The event served as a space for sharing knowledge, discussion, and collaboration to strengthen digital capabilities and the competitiveness of business owners. In addition to Aldo Pasha Permana, the event also featured Account Manager Business Services Witel Riau, Muhamad Rizky, who delivered a WMS Talk session themed ‘Branding and Maintaining Business Existence in the Digital Era.’ Through this collaboration, Sumatera Witel Telkom and TDA Kepri encouraged the formation of a business ecosystem that is more adaptive to technological developments.