Recently, we joined the team at SCALE in Loughborough at their annual UK symposium, with a focused conversation around “hope not hype”: effective digitalisation for better supply chain solutions. There were three key themes that stood out across the day:
AI is an amplifier. When used wisely it can have significant benefit to society. We saw practical examples from the MTC where SME agricultural farmers are deploying AI within robotics to better target the use of herbicides and pesticides within orchard farming. This not only controls usage and minimises waste, but also ensures we foster a healthy ecosystem for the environment.
AI does not replace individual agency. Sir Andy Kyte spoke about the deployment of AI within the ministry of defence, not to replace or substitute the experience and capability of his team, but to augment their thinking and draw on a vast dataset providing them with more intelligence to make effective decision in high-stake scenarios.
Data is a strategic asset. There was a common theme throughout the day about the importance of data, which forms the connective tissue of the modern supply chain. Failure to maintain good quality data and leverage it puts organisations at a strategic disadvantage in today’s world.
There was much discussion about the important role people play in the use and adoption of AI and that cultural change is key for successful adoption across industries. If you are looking for more support with cultural change in your organisation and don’t know where to start, our digital readiness assessment will help.
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About UK SCALE
The UK Supply Chain and Logistics Excellence (UK SCALE) Centre, based at Loughborough University, is a national research centre focused on delivering applied impact across education, industry and policy. As part of the MIT Global SCALE Network, UK SCALE connects world-class research with real-world supply chain transformation.
Our collaboration with UK SCALE and MTC:
We are collaborating with Loughborough University’s UK Supply Chain and Logistics Excellence (UK SCALE) Centre and The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) to help tackle some of the biggest supply chain challenges facing UK businesses.
This approach combines academic research, advanced manufacturing technology and practical delivery experience. Together, we are focused on turning insight into action, helping businesses build more resilient, productive and sustainable supply chains.
This collaboration will strengthen national supply chain capability by accelerating the progression of ideas from concept to application, supporting SMEs and industry partners to adopt innovation with confidence, and ensuring that research insights are translated into scalable, industry ready solutions.
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