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The US-China trade war has pushed companies like Jaguar Land Rover and Audi to halt their operations in North America, while Lindt & Sprüngli rerouted chocolate supplies to Europe to avoid tariffs. According to Bloomberg, Amazon too cancelled orders for products from several Chinese and Asian vendors.
Infact, Walmart and Alibaba already use AI and generative AI for supply chain and inventory management. The next leap? Agentic AI bots that can negotiate with suppliers, coordinate deliveries, and optimize warehouse usage—operating with minimal human intervention.
As we move through 2025, supply chain leaders are bracing for more disruptions. An IBM IBV survey shows 61% of CSCOs are concerned about geopolitical risks, and 58% cite trade tensions as a major threat. Tariff wars and economic uncertainty are once again reshaping global trade.
To better understand AI’s impact, IBM and Oxford Economics surveyed 300+ global CSCOs and COOs. The research outlines a clear evolution— previously from automation and machine learning to generative AI, and now to fully autonomous agentic AI systems that adapt to real-time changes.
This isn’t just about cost savings—it's about reducing volatility, improving speed, and turning crisis into opportunity. Agentic AI in supply chain management is already helping 62% of supply chain leaders accelerate decisions, streamline operational workflows, and gain a competitive edge.
The future of intelligent supply chains is moving faster than you think. Here’s one vision on how Agentic AI supply-chain operating model might be in the near future.
The intelligent supply chain planning system represents an ideal shift in business operations. This dynamic ecosystem provides advanced analytics and cutting-edge technologies to revolutionize traditional supply chain management into a strategic advantage. At its core, agentic AI in supply chain serves as the driving force, bringing new levels of intelligence via autonomous decision-making abilities that can optimize resources, predict disruptions, and adapt in real-time without human intervention.
By integrating agentic AI in supply chain, businesses achieve a self-orchestrating network that improves and learn continuously. These AI agents don't just analyze data—they-
Intelligent supply chain planning platforms encompasses detailed end-to-end planning abilities, incorporating a range of essential features, like:
1. Demand Sensing and Shaping
2. Supplier Collaboration and Network Orchestration
3. Reduction in Lead Times
4. Improved Order Fulfillment Rates
5. Enhanced Ability to Handle Demand Fluctuations
6. Agile Response to Disruptions
The maturity levels of intelligent supply chain management can be classified into four stages. Each level represents a progression in the effectiveness of supply chain management practices. Let's delve into it:
1. Fragmented supply chains:
At the fragmented level, supply chain operations are ideally isolated and operate independently within multiple functional silos. Communication and Collaboration among different stakeholders are repressed, resulting in broken decision-making and inefficient processes. Info flows have a disconnect, and data may be captured in different systems, making it hectic to get granular visibility into the supply chain. Additionally, KPIs may be not fully defined or inconsistent.
2. Connected supply chains:
At the connected level, organizations begin to signify links between disparate stakeholders and functions in the supply chain. Information and Communication sharing are improved with technology solutions like - CRM systems, ERP systems, and supply chain visibility tools. Data is centralized, providing better insights and visibility into KPI and metrics. However, decision-making processes are still generally localized, and coordination may be limited to specific functional areas.
3. Coordinated supply chains:
In the coordinated level, brands focus on aligning activities and processes across the supply chain to drive greater collaboration and efficiency. Cross-functional teams and interdepartmental coordination become more frequent. Supply chain planning and execution activities are integrated, and there is a great emphasis on inventory optimization, supplier management, demand forecasting,. KPIs and performance metrics are well-defined and monitored, allowing organizations to improve and measure supply chain performance.
4. Integrated supply chains:
At the integrated level, organizations achieve a high degree of synchronization and collaboration across the entire supply chain ecosystem. Integration extends not only internally across multiple functions but also externally with customers, suppliers, and partners. Data sharing and visibility are exhaustive, facilitated by advanced technologies like IoT, AI, blockchain—and increasingly, agentic AI systems. These systems act autonomously within defined parameters to initiate actions, optimize workflows, and make recommendations without constant human prompts. Real-time info flows offer proactive decision-making, dynamic demand management, and agile response to disruptions. Continuous improvement initiatives are embedded to reduce waste, drive efficiency, and optimize processes.
Transform your organization with an integrated and frictionless supply chain planning for more informed, effective and timely decision-making.
Talk to our ExpertsIntelligent SCM platforms offers numerous benefits. here you go:
Enhanced Operational Efficiency: AI-driven automation in warehousing can assist organizations with improved packing, picking, and sorting, reducing the erratic errors, labor costs, and safety offering operational excellence at scale.
One of the leading consumer durables brand grapples with visibility, decision-making, and agility across its supply chain. To streamline and centralize operations, we actioned an AI-powered Supply Chain Control Tower, enabling:
Impact Achieved:
✔ 6% Reduction in Logistics Costs
✔ 7% Fewer Supply Chain Stockouts
✔ 13% Drop in Inventory Costs
Advanced Customer Service: In the present scenario, we’ve helped organizations streamline their operations using our generative AI-powered assistant – P.AI. With real-time tracking updates, proactive bottleneck resolution, and instant order status notifications, P.AI has transformed supply chain operations. Teams now talk directly to their data, instantly retrieving inventory levels, shipment details, and predictive insights—driving faster decisions and greater visibility across the board.
With Polestar Analytics, enterprises gain faster ROI on supply chain planning with reduced risk and cost of implementation.
Boost ROI with Agentic AI in Supply ChainSo, brands must move beyond traditional automation and embrace Agentic AI in supply chains that proactively analyze data, make decisions, and optimize operations without constant human intervention. This shift helps brands to streamline intelligent supply chain planning processes, anticipate disruptions, and drive sustainable growth.
While agility and adaptability remain significant, the competitive edge lies in exploring AI as a strategic ally. If you're willing to transition to autonomous and end-to-end supply chain planning solutions, now is the time to act. Get in touch with our experts to avail Agentic AI solutions for intelligent supply chain management and drive your brand toward a future of efficiency and sustained profitability.
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