In a world characterized by market volatility and unpredictability, businesses constantly navigate supply chain disruptions, erratic demand patterns, and unexpected risks. While traditional forecasting methods have served us well, they often fall short when addressing the evolving challenges of today’s dynamic business landscape.
Enter Artificial Intelligence (AI) — a buzzword that’s more than just hype, as said in an Accenture survey, 86% of executives are actively investing in it. Within this vast world of AI, Generative AI models like ChatGPT are revolutionizing user adoption and redefining possibilities.
What happens when we intertwine Generative AI with machine learning in supply chain planning? We get a transformative shift that allows companies to plan demand and inventory at the sheer speed of the market. In this article, we’ll explore the fusion of AI-first forecasting with traditional models and its immense value to the supply chain.
AI-First Demand Planning
How can human-machine collaboration cut costs, error, and implementation time? Find out in this eBook
Free eBookExploring the Power of Generative AI in Supply Chain
Generative AI stands out in its ability to create something entirely new, going beyond the structured data and delving into the vast expanse of unstructured data generated every moment in our digital world. This is particularly valuable for supply chain planners, enabling them to draw comprehensive insights across the organization and democratize access to crucial information.
In supply chain planning, this translates to a transformative shift. Companies are now equipped to plan demand and inventory with unparalleled speed, aligning their strategies more closely with real-time market demands. Generative AI and machine learning are coming together to offer a blend of the old and new, integrating AI-first forecasting with traditional models to unlock immense value for the supply chain.
Traditional vs. Generative AI
While AI in general refers to machines mimicking human intelligence and machine learning is a specialty within AI that includes systems that can learn from data, generative AI is a unique subset focused on creating new content, ranging from text and music to visual arts. For supply chain professionals, this distinction is vital. It reveals opportunities to tap into unstructured data, offering richer insights and enabling more informed decision-making.
Forward-thinking companies have already begun leveraging the potential of AI in their supply chain planning.
For example, a global shipping enterprise harnessed the power of AI to fine-tune its worldwide freight system. Considering elements like shipping volumes, vessel capacities, and port limits, the advanced machine learning model crafts the best shipping pathways, slashing transit durations by 20% and decreasing fuel usage by 15%.
Moving away from the reactive nature of traditional statistical demand forecasting models, AI-first forecasting offers a more proactive and holistic approach. It considers not just historical data, but also real-time inputs, market dynamics, and customer sentiments, resulting in forecasts that are agile, accurate, and aligned with current market conditions. This approach ensures that companies are not just reacting to changes but actively anticipating and strategizing for them.
Insights from our webinar emphasizing the benefits of using ChatGPT and AI-first forecasting, reveal a trend toward AI adoption; 33% of attendees are already exploring specific AI applications, while a significant 77% are in the process of learning about the potentials of Generative AI. This signals a looming change in the industry, with a growing number of organizations moving from the educational phase to active implementation of AI-first solutions.
Realizing Value with ChatGPT and AI-First Forecasting
Watch how companies are using AI implementation to lead concrete cost reductions, minimize waste, and improve overall supply chain resilience in part two of this two part series.
Watch On DemandAI isn’t here to replace human roles; it’s here to augment them. By providing richer insights and enabling more precise strategy formulation, AI-first tools like ChatGPT empower executives and supply chain planners to make faster, more informed decisions, driving efficiency and profitability. Integration of AI across the supply chain ecosystem fosters a connected and intelligent environment, ensuring that businesses are well-equipped to respond to the needs of various stakeholders in real time.
- For the Executive: Generative AI serves as a touchpoint for understanding the holistic health of the business without needing to rely on someone else to run queries against the data. For instance:
- CSCO: What were the top 5 selling brands last January?
- Gen AI: “Brand A with a sales figure of 122,345 units, Brand B with a sales figure of 112,230 units…”
- For the Planner: AI can provide recommendations on optimal service levels, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently.
- For Sales and Customer Service: AI can give real-time updates on order statuses, ensuring customer queries are answered promptly and accurately.
Generative AI is transforming supply chain management, delivering not just descriptive analytics but also predictive and prescriptive insights. For instance, when a Chief Supply Chain Officer queries about production issues, Generative AI quickly identifies a component shortage from a specific supplier, detailing its impacts across inventory and customer satisfaction.
When a component shortage occurs, the AI assistant doesn’t just identify the problem; it also recommends solutions, such as alternate suppliers, and provides insights on lead times, expedited order costs, and the overall impact on the supply chain. This capability ensures that everyone in the supply chain, from executives to ground operations, has the necessary tools and insights for optimal decision-making, agility, and improved customer satisfaction.
With the acquisition of Garvis and the subsequent creation of DemandAI+, Logility is actively reshaping the future of supply chain planning.
DemandAI+ answers the challenges and complexities of today’s market dynamics, translating them into accurate forecasts and actionable insights. By embedding Generative AI, advanced AI-driven algorithms, and machine learning into our Logility® Digital Supply Chain Platform, we provide a holistic, AI-first approach to demand forecasting.
DemandAI+ has demonstrated its robust capabilities across 70 implementations, yielding a 70% reduction in weekly planning time and a 15-30% decrease in forecast error. Clients are efficiently navigating market complexities, ensuring precise inventory management and responsive decision-making for even the most challenging product categories.
Logility is setting new industry standards, ensuring businesses are well-equipped to thrive in today’s dynamic market landscape with AI-first forecasting. Reach out today to learn how Logility can bring your supply chain planning to new heights with AI.
