___________________________________________________________________________________________________ AI and Talent and prescriptive insights, these technologies help supply chain leaders shift from reactive problemsolving to proactive risk management. Instead of waiting for supplier issues to disrupt operations, AI enables early detection of risks, such as production delays, quality declines, or financial instability, enabling supply chain teams to explore alternative sourcing strategies, secure backup vendors, or stockpile essential materials in advance.
Consider a Chief Supply Chain Officer( CSCO) managing operations across multiple regions. With AI-driven insights, they can make data-informed decisions to navigate supplier disruptions, optimize costs, and maintain consistent delivery timelines. This kind of agility is crucial, especially in times of economic uncertainty or geopolitical instability.
AI’ s role in workforce development
AI tools can also step in where traditional training models are struggling, offering employees real-time, flexible training and providing instant guidance when users encounter new processes or challenges. Supply-chain platforms that integrate AI, for example, can detect if a user is struggling with a task and automatically suggesting next steps or redirecting to a short video or written tutorial. AI-powered training can eliminate – or at least reduce – the need for long, disruptive and tiring training sessions that distract employees from their core responsibilities, often causing backlogs and dissatisfaction. Instead, AI enables a seamless learning experience where professionals can acquire skills in real-world situations, ensuring that supply chain management teams remain adaptable and confident in their ability to face evolving challenges.
Long-term resilience
Undeniably, AI is rapidly transforming supply chain operations, from streamlining routine tasks to enabling smarter, faster decision-making. In fact, by automating manual workflows and providing real-time insights, AI is not only closing the talent gap but also elevating supply chain roles into more strategic, high-impact positions. As this technology evolves, we can expect selfoptimizing supply chain platforms, systems that learn from user behavior, adapt to shifting market conditions, and continuously improve performance. These tools have the possibility to empower organizations to better anticipate disruptions, optimize logistics and inventory, and build more agile, cost-efficient networks.
Crucially, businesses that invest in AI-driven supply chain capabilities today are positioning themselves for long-term resilience. They’ ll be better equipped to navigate global uncertainty, reduce operational friction, and attract top talent seeking tech-enabled, forward-thinking work environments. ■
Simon Thompson www. jaggaer. com
With over 20 years of experience in the provision of technology solutions for Commercial, Not- For-Profit and Public Sector Organizations, Simon Thompson leads JAGGAER’ s UK, Nordic, and Benelux Commercial teams as the Vice President for Northern Europe. He strives to drive change through the delivery of value that has a meaningful impact on cost optimization, supply chain resilience, and risk mitigation.
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