A look into the future: The self-learning supply chain

The self-learning supply chain marks the next major frontier of supply chain innovation. It's a futuristic vision of a world in which supply chain systems, infused with artificial intelligence (AI), can analyze existing supply chain strategies and data to learn what factors lead to supply chain failures. These AI-driven systems then use this knowledge to predict future supply chain problems and proactively prescribe or autonomously execute resolutions. While there is still a way to go before the self-learning supply chain is a reality, recent advancements in AI suggest it is no longer "blue-sky thinking."The self-learning supply chain of the future marries the benefits of AI with the digital technologies that many companies have already started incorporating into their supply chain disciplines. This digital supply chain transformation is being fueled by several technology advancements: physical "things" incorporating computer technology; readily available big data such as social media, news, events, and weather (SNEW); and computer systems and software becoming more intelligent. These digital technologies are transforming the very nature of the supply chain—which was once built for volume and scale—into an agile, digitally connected framework that leverages a single set of physical assets to support multiple virtual supply chains. These virtual supply chains, sometimes defined as supply chain grids, replace the traditional fixed linear supply chains of the past by providing new flow options that enable accelerated order fulfillment based on near real-time awareness of assets and inventory.