Left to right: BSA Senior Director of Legislative Strategy Bruce Miller; Walmart Senior Director for Government Affairs Sara Decker; SAP Chief Revenue Officer for Supply Chain Darcy MacClaren; and Expeditors Global Director for Government Outreach Brenda Smith.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is helping to make supply chains more reliable and resilient, a series of industry-leading experts told US congressional staff during a briefing on Capitol Hill last week.
The Digital Transformation Network (DTN) – a signature initiative of BSA | The Software Alliance – last week published a report detailing how digital tools can help build more dynamic models that create more accurate predictions that can forecast machine maintenance, optimize manufacturing, speed up delivery, and more.
Leaders from SAP, Walmart, and Expeditors International joined BSA staff in bringing those stories to life for policy staffers crafting AI and supply chain policies.
The panelists – Walmart Senior Director for Government Affairs Sara Decker; SAP Chief Revenue Officer for Supply Chain Darcy MacClaren; and Expeditors Global Director for Government Outreach Brenda Smith – joined BSA Senior Director of Legislative Strategy Bruce Miller in speaking to how AI can help manage data, improve cybersecurity by mitigating cyber risk, and upskill current workers in warehouses.
“The amount of data out there is overwhelming,” Smith said. “AI gives us the opportunity to shape that data.”
Artificial intelligence must be “relevant, reliable, and responsible,” said MacClaren, in order for SAP to reach its goal of becoming the leading AI vendor for its customers.
“The way we are going to do that,” she said, “is to embed AI into our solutions, which makes it easier for customers to adopt.”
Processing immense amounts of data is not the only way that AI advances the deliveries and services of companies worldwide. Series of machines in places like market fulfillment centers that move laterally and horizontally can pick up thousands of products that need to be shipped.
Walmart associates are upskilled to operate these machines, not only helping the company but also creating a better working environment for themselves, Decker said. The result? A better experience and more savings for Walmart customers.
“Everything we do, AI included, is really driven by the experience for our customers,” Decker said.
All three panelists encouraged lawmakers to use AI tools themselves and become familiar with them to understand how they can be applied to different situations.
“AI is changing all of our lives now, but let’s think about where we need to be in 10 or 20 years,” Smith concluded.
Read the latest DTN report Supply Chain & Logistics: Digital Tools Transform Supply Chain Management here.
