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Understanding AI in Supply Chain.

Artificial intelligence (AI) in supply chain will have a significant impact on automation.  Companies like Facebook, Google and Amazon are investing billions of dollars into artificial intelligence.  Whether you agree with artificial intelligence or not make no mistake it will continue to become more and more part of our personal and business lives.  Many supply chain positions people thought couldn’t be automated will be automated.


Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology that involves the use of computers and algorithms to mimic the cognitive functions of humans, such as learning, decision-making, and problem-solving. In the supply chain, AI can be used in a variety of ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Here are a few examples of how AI can be used in the supply chain:

  1. Demand forecasting: AI can be used to analyze data on past demand patterns and other factors to make more accurate predictions of future demand. This can help companies better plan production, sourcing, and distribution activities to meet changing demand.
  2. Inventory management: AI can be used to analyze data on inventory levels, sales, and other factors to optimize inventory management. For example, AI can be used to identify slow-moving items and adjust inventory levels accordingly, or to predict when items will need to be reordered and generate automatic replenishment orders.
  3. Transportation and logistics: AI can be used to optimize transportation and logistics in the supply chain. For example, AI can be used to analyze data on shipping routes and costs to identify the most efficient and cost-effective options for moving goods.
  4. Supply chain planning: AI can be used to analyze data on the entire supply chain to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies, and to develop plans to address these issues.

Overall, AI can be used in a variety of ways in the supply chain to improve efficiency and reduce costs. By analyzing data and making decisions based on that data, AI can help companies optimize their supply chain operations and respond to changing demand and other factors.

AI and Supply Chain Quotes

  • “Automation has emerged as a bigger threat to American jobs than globalization or immigration combined.” ~Oren Etzioni
  • “The key with autonomous is the whole ecosystem.  One of the keys to having truly fully autonomous is vehicles talking to each other.” ~Mary Barr, CEO GM
  • “Supply chain is in the crawling stage of using artificial intelligence.  In the next 5 years AI will revolutionize supply chain in ways most people haven’t even though of yet.” ~Dave Waters
  • “Employees have been worrying about the rising tide of automation for 200 years now, and for 200 years employers have been assuring them that new jobs will naturally materialize to take their place.” ~Rutger Bregman
  • “Automation is no longer just a problem for those working in manufacturing. Physical labor was replaced by robots; mental labor is going to be replaced by AI and software.” ~Andrew Yang
  • “Advances in automation, artificial intelligence and robotics, while increasing productivity, will also cause major upheavals to the workforce.” ~John Hickenlooper
  • “Past Supply Chain automation efforts will pale in comparison to the automation coming with IoT, blockchain and artificial intelligence.” ~Dave Waters

Automation Resources

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AI in Supply Chain
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