Companies are investing in artificial intelligence
There is a rapidly growing awareness among companies to implement supply chain innovation, digitalisation and automation to manage the entire process. This is according to the latest Descartes Systems Group survey of managers from Europe, the US and Canada. It is the successive waves of pandemics that have made managers aware of the need for change.
As many as 59% of the companies surveyed have accelerated the pace of investment related to supply chain digitalisation, and 65% plan to increase their spending in the next two years. These are optimistic figures, but at the same time, the prestigious consultancy Gartner warns against poorly planned investments related to the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) and data processing in logistics.
Why such a warning? Gartner has researched the innovation market well especially in large companies and has come to some interesting conclusions. According to Gartner experts, when introducing AI, it is important to focus first on the areas that promise the greatest growth potential. This is because premature investments in many areas at the same time do not bring the expected results. Experts also believe that it will still take at least 10 years before AI-based technology is fully mature. At the same time, Gartner is in no doubt that artificial intelligence in the supply chain is the future of logistics and will have a dominant role in transforming the entire system.
The importance of artificial intelligence for the development of the economy is recognised not only by businesses, but also by governments. In 2010. Germany, for example, adopted the principles of Industry 4.0, and a year later the United States adopted an official Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition strategy, which mentions smart manufacturing. Germany’s neighbours, the French, created a strategy in 2018 for the development of artificial intelligence in healthcare, transport, defence and the environment, and China, in its ‘Made in China 2025’ strategy, makes no secret of the fact that it is aiming for a leadership role in selected areas of artificial intelligence.
