Job File: AI supply chain project manager

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the supply chain. Sales forecasting, error detection, inventory management, lead times improvement, automation of a number of tasks... Its power is great. A hybrid profession by definition, the AI project manager in supply chain pilots the technological evolutions of the AI with a view to improving the logistic performance and optimizing transport. 

PRESENTATION AND MISSIONS

He or she is appointed manager or AI project manager in supply chain. She builds AI and data ecosystems, leverages AI technologies and supports the organization's supply chain transformation.

She plans a strategy to rationalize processes for managing logistics flows and improving information systems by choosing stakeholders and tools.

The AI supply chain project manager carries out audits, makes diagnoses, defines the intervention scope and activates the logical levers. She directs operational management, manages AI and data projects planning, and monitors the implementation of new solutions as well as their deployment while keeping costs, deadlines, ethics and constraints in mind.

To guarantee the technological transition in the supply chain, she makes employees aware of the issues at stake and trains them in the new processes (whether it involves managing physical or information flows). She is the one who coordinates teams on the various common subjects, always liaising with general management.

Thanks to the implementation of AI and data, she upgrades the supply chain and transforms the supply chain model, in order to boost speed, adaptability, reliability and efficiency.

BUSINESS IMPLICATIONS

AI and data in the supply chain are key to several themes:

• Data analysis offers to accelerate logistics processes automation (Robotic Process Automation), forecasting and inventory management (example of the Amazon warehouse managed by 4000 robots), fraud detection, production control, delivery processes evaluation, deciphering data in foreign languages...
• Chatbots and callbots improve customer and supplier services
• Augmented reality can today train staff in the different warehouse positions or guide them in their search (thereby reducing errors).
• Robotization enables depalletization for example, it will allow thankless tasks to disappear by giving value to trades.

All these advances represent a temporal and economic gain.

Here is an example in this regard: the ENGIE / VEKIA partnership with end-to-end management of the supply chain: Engie carries out 14,000 interventions per day (maintenance, heating/air conditioning repairs...), has 1 million references on the information system, with stocks in 230 branches. VEKIA uses AI to automate warehouse orders, calculate the remaining stock each time and make an order proposal for each management point.

ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS

The supply chain raises many ethical issues: environmental impact and sustainability, sourcing and origin of raw materials, CSR... Since the supply chain uses big data, their handling must respect each individual's rights and freedoms (transparency, confidentiality, security, impartiality, human supervision...).

The AI supply chain project manager can turn to experts such as legal experts in artificial intelligence or ethics managers, which are valuable support functions to address these specialized topics.

aivancity programs integrate all AI components and challenges, whether technical, technological, commercial, ethical or legal. It is a global and hybrid training that enables future engineers to meet the many economic and societal challenges related to the exploitation of the potential of data and artificial intelligence. It can be completed by a doctoral or PhD training.

KEY SKILLS

Supply Chain AI Manager is a hybrid position, requiring both a high level of supply chain management knowledge and significant technological skills.

Mastery of software, IT tools and AI/data systems is necessary (ERP, TMS, WMS, EDI, machine learning, IoT, NLP/NLU, data science...). The analysis of complex data is also part of the function's key competencies.

The supply chain AI project manager knows the supply chain business and processes (S&OP, sales & operations planning, source of performance improvement, resource, flow and inventory optimization).

Bon communicant (en anglais et en français), il a un grand sens de la relation. Son sens du leadership l’aide à embarquer les équipes dans ses projets de transformation et d’amélioration continue. Capacité d’analyse, exactitude, logique et méthode sont ses qualités premières. La veille technologique est importante pour le poste et l’anticipation permet d’avoir toujours un coup d’avance.

Tendances et facteurs d’évolution

The AI project manager in supply chain can evolve to a position of supply chain director or AI director. He can also offer his services as a consultant.

Transforming the supply chain and its businesses, AI and data innovations open fascinating perspectives. The stock of challenges is at its highest for the AI project manager in supply chain.

*IAgineer and AIgineer are registered and protected terms by Aivancity.