AI and the Future of Supply Chains: How Leaders Move from Hype to Real Impact

Special Guest Blog Post written by Karin Bursa, Founder and CEO of NIRAKIO and Supply Chain Now Host 

Artificial intelligence is no longer a “what if” in supply chain — it is here. In fact, Gartner predicts that 50% of cross-functional supply chain management solutions will use intelligent agents to autonomously execute decisions in the ecosystem by 2030. But how do leaders move from hype to real impact? During our recent Supply Chain Now Power Panel, I asked five senior executives to share where they see AI making the biggest impact. Their answers revealed not just excitement, but a roadmap for how supply chains can evolve.

Here is how they responded, in their own words.

Q: Where do you see AI making the greatest impact in your supply chain?

Eliza Simeonova – VP Global Supply, Mars Pet Nutrition

“AI forces operational discipline. Clean data is no longer optional. The system itself demands it. I also see AI shaping supply chain synchronization — aligning suppliers, factories, warehouses, and customers in new ways.”

Whitney Shlesinger – VP Global Planning & Logistics, McCormick

“For me, it’s about people. Employees want to move beyond non-value-added work. AI allows us to free them up for strategic thinking, collaboration, and creative problem-solving.”

Sylvia Wilks – CSCO, Lamb Weston

“AI is an enabler for better forecasting, inventory optimization, and cash flow management. It’s about using analytics not just to see the future, but to improve working capital today.”

Stephanie Beal – CSCO, Hasbro

“We’ve rolled out tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot to every employee, and adoption has been phenomenal. We’re also applying AI to demand planning and strategy reviews. It is already a game-changer for decision-making.”

Tamera Fenske – CSCO, Kimberly-Clark

“The next stage is Agentic AI — not just seeing insights but offering recommendations. One use case we love is knowledge management: decades of tissue manufacturing expertise now searchable in seconds.”

Closing Thoughts

What I found remarkable is how each leader sees AI not as a replacement, but as an accelerator: of discipline, of creativity, of financial impact, and of decision-making.

Their perspectives highlight a bigger truth: AI won’t transform supply chains on its own. Leaders will. And as these executives showed, the future is not about replacing people — it is about empowering them.

Check out the full conversation in this on-demand link and let us know how you think AI will impact your supply chain. And join us for the next “Never Normal” Power Panel on January 7th- register here!