The modern supply chain is an intricate animal that incorporates many different organizations, people, processes and technologies. Add the word “global” to the equation, and those complexities become even more difficult to manage. Moreover, with disruptions like the global pandemic wreaking havoc on the world’s supply chains, the need to balance resiliency with profitability has become mandatory for most organizations.

Fortunately, technology has advanced to the point where it can help organizations more effectively manage their global supply chains without the need for additional labor, physical space, or expertise. From predictive to prescriptive, from decision support to decision automation, artificial intelligence is transforming supply-chain activities in new ways.

Performing tasks in a manner similar to human brains, AI-enabled technology can sense and respond to specific features within its environment. It can learn to solve problems such as delivery delays and weather-related disruptions in unexpected ways, recognizing the nuances of speech and exhibiting some form of humanlike creativity.