From Zero to Hero in Two Years: Artificial Intelligence to be One of Biggest Digital Disruptors in Supply Chain

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a part of popular culture for decades, from wreaking havoc in The Terminator movie in the '80s to saving the world in Iron Man 3. While Hollywood loves to highlight the more extreme consequences of AI, the real-life business implications are far more tangible, with the supply chain industry standing front and center as one of the big winners from this game-changing technology. The role of AI within supply chain grew so quickly that in our Future of Supply Chain survey in 2014, we didn't even ask SCM World's community of senior supply chain professionals about its importance. If we jump forward two years to 2016, however, the numbers indicate that people are very much aware of the technology's ability to deliver tangible value within the supply chain industry. In fact, 47 percent of the almost 1,500 respondents to our most recent survey said that AI was both disruptive and important in respect to supply chain strategies.