From Data to Decisions: How AI Is Unlocking Hidden Value in Supply Chain Data
Article from MHI Solutions Magazine
For decades, supply chains have relied on spreadsheets, siloed systems and gut instinct to balance cost, service and risk. But as global networks have become more complex and data volumes have exploded, traditional tools are no longer enough.
Today, structured data pours in from enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, warehouse management systems (WMS) and transportation management systems (TMS). Unstructured data floods inboxes, PDFs and call center transcripts. Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and telematics generate streams of real‑time signals. The question is no longer whether companies have enough data; it’s how they can turn that data into decisions.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly providing the answer. To explore how, four supply chain experts shared their perspectives:
- Randy V. Bradley, PhD, dean of the Jack C. Massey College of Business at Belmont University.
- Jim Frazer, VP of corporate strategy at ARC Advisory Group.
- Rick McDonald, CEO of Rick McDonald Supply Chain Advisory and former chief supply chain officer at The Clorox Company.
- Arman Moussavi, engagement manager at Deloitte Consulting LLP.
Together, their insights reveal both the opportunities and the challenges of harnessing AI to unlock hidden value in supply chain data.
