IBM report: nearly half of supply chain managers deal with uncertainty through AI and automation

September 21, a new research report by IBM Business value Research Institute (IBV) entitled "mastering your own Transformation", a survey of 1500 Chief supply chain officers and Chief operating officers (COO) reveals how Chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) respond to major supply chain challenges posed by factors such as the global COVID-19 COVID-19 epidemic, inflation, climate change and geopolitical events. And how they plan to protect their supply chains for the future.

The report's findings show that supply chain leaders are embracing artificial intelligence and automation technologies to provide interconnectivity with partners and suppliers to achieve sustainable operations and predictability.

Of these, nearly half (47 per cent) of the chief supply chain officers surveyed said they had introduced new automation technologies over the past two years-an approach that improves the predictability, flexibility and intelligence of supply chain operations, while using AI to help monitor and track supply chain performance.

In addition, the study shows that sustainability is both a challenge and a driving force for change for supply chain managers. Chief supply chain officers interviewed identified sustainability as their third biggest challenge in the coming years, after supply chain disruptions and technology infrastructure. Of these, 52 per cent put sustainable development at or near the top of their priority list; 50 per cent believe that their investment in sustainable development will accelerate business growth. They also revealed that the most direct pressure on transparency in sustainable development came from investors (56 per cent), board members (50 per cent) and clients (50 per cent).