The Smartest Supply Chain Leaders Don’t Just Use AI - They Think With It
How to shift from automation to collaboration and unlock real value.
Artificial Intelligence isn't just here to run reports or speed up your email responses. If you're only using AI to automate, you're leaving value on the table.
In procurement, logistics, and supply chain management, the real shift happens when AI becomes a thinking partner—someone (or something) that challenges your assumptions, helps you pressure-test ideas, and gives you strategic foresight in volatile environments.
So how do you get there?
Stop Treating AI Like a Task-Runner
Many teams still interact with AI like it’s an intern. They ask it to summarize emails, generate contract templates, or spit out a chart. Helpful? Sure. Transformational? Not really.
Instead, imagine this:
You feed AI your quarterly demand forecast. Then ask, “Given rising fuel costs and supplier delays in Asia, what alternative scenarios should I plan for? Where’s the biggest risk of disruption—and what’s the lowest-cost mitigation?”
Now you’re not just using AI. You’re thinking with it.
What the Best Leaders Are Doing Differently
Research shows that companies using AI as a collaborative tool see significantly higher ROI.
McKinsey found that redesigning workflows around AI, rather than layering it on top, yields the biggest EBIT gains.
Gartner reports that executive-led AI adoption—especially when CFOs and COOs are involved—results in faster implementation and stronger outcomes.
The takeaway? AI creates value when it’s treated as a strategic partner, not a back-office tool.