How AI Is Poised to Transform Every Element of the End-to-End Supply Chain

IT professionals involved in shaping, implementing, and managing their organization's supply chain operations are counting on artificial intelligence (AI) to help make those operations more efficient and effective. Just how much they're expecting from AI became evident in a recent IDG survey of 150 IT professionals across the U.S. AI clearly topped all emerging technologies: 57% of the respondents said AI would have the greatest impact on their supply chain in the coming two years. In practice, of course, AI technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing, and pattern recognition will often work hand-in-hand with data analytics, IoT, and other technologies. For example, AI is already helping data analytics systems identify trends and other valuable information--information that often is buried in massive volumes of data that comes from many diverse sources, IoT sensors included. The intersection of AI and the supply chain will be multifaceted and wide-ranging.