The AI‑Empowered Workforce
Article from MHI Solutions Magazine
SUPPLY CHAIN LEADERS may be all in on incorporating AI capabilities into their operations, but they are also sounding alarm bells about the real‑world constraints that could limit their ability to adopt AI and other forms of automation. At the top of their list of concerns: People.
Fifty‑eight percent of industry leaders cited “talent acquisition and workforce challenges” as the top supply chain challenge in the 2026 MHI Annual Industry Report released at MODEX in April—up from 50% in last year’s survey—and called “attracting, upskilling and retaining talent a core part of building resilience and a key requirement for adopting new technology at speed.”
Those challenges include a mismatch between skills workers currently possess and the capabilities companies will need as supply chains undergo what MHI calls a “foundational shift from static execution to AI‑enabled orchestration,” along with chronic labor shortages and sky‑high turnover rates among frontline workers.
Three data points tell the story. In 2025, 370,000 warehouse jobs went unfilled. Distribution centers (DCs) face turnover rates averaging 50% and reaching 100% in some e‑commerce fulfillment operations. Meanwhile, postings for jobs requiring AI implementation skills surged 245%, becoming the No. 1 most in‑demand skill globally…
