Tony Sciarrotta

Prospects of supply chain automation have the industry abuzz. It’s even become a major sticking point in the International Longshoremen’s Association contract negotiations with the United States Maritime Alliance. The dockworkers do not want ports to automate processes out of fear they will lose their jobs to machines. Today, there are seemingly endless possibilities for optimization. Terms like generative artificial intelligence and machine learning have become commonplace in discussions about ways to gain efficiencies and reduce costs. Can man and machine work together as businesses leverage automation for optimization? Beyond the Buzz: Understanding the Automation Imperative Machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence (AI), is described by Business News Daily as a later-stage development in which machines take in data on their own and then analyze it. Automation, on the other hand, is fixed on repetitive tasks; after a job is performed, an automation system “thinks no further.” The Business News Daily article explained that “automation involves an entire category of technologies that provide activity or work without human involvement,” while AI involves “a machine exhibiting and practicing something similar to what we describe as human thinking – that is, the ability to interact in thousands of ways with the…

We are excited to celebrate Scott Luton, Founder & CEO of Supply Chain Now, for being recognized as a 2025 Pro to Know by Supply & Demand Chain Executive—a distinction that underscores his unwavering impact and leadership in the field. This recognition honors Scott’s year-in and year-out commitment to excellence—from thought leadership to community engagement. It stands alongside his previous accolade as a Pro to Know in 2019 and now again in 2025, highlighting a sustained legacy of influence within the supply chain profession. See the complete list of 2025 Pros to Know here.