How Can Design Thinking Dramatically Improve AI Success in Supply Chains?

Why Is Design Thinking the Key to Unlocking Powerful AI Results in Uncertain Supply Chains?

Global supply chains face relentless disruption — from pandemics and geopolitical instability to labor shortages and extreme weather. This volatility puts immense pressure on supply chain leaders to build resilience, enhance agility, and make smarter, faster decisions. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) offer powerful tools, but many organizations struggle to identify where these technologies deliver the most value.

How Can Design Thinking Dramatically Improve AI Success in Supply Chains? Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash

The Core Challenge

• Many supply chain organizations invest in AI/ML without a clear understanding of the problems they need to solve.
• There’s often a disconnect between technological potential and business needs, leading to underwhelming results.
• Rapid technological change and siloed teams make it difficult to translate operational pain points into digital opportunities.

Design Thinking: A Structured, Human-Centered Approach

Design thinking bridges the gap between business challenges and technology solutions by focusing on the real needs of…