Supply chain leaders turn to AI-driven decision making amid global volatility

Rising uncertainty pushes supply chains toward AI-enabled and more integrated decision-making models.

Supply chain resilience is no longer about holding more inventory or expanding supplier networks. Businesses are now faced with geopolitical instability, inflation, shifting consumer demand, and rapid artificial intelligence adoption. In this landscape, more adaptive and technology-driven operating strategies are needed. 

These were some of the key themes explored during the recent webinar hosted by RELEX Solutions and Retail Asia, titled “2026 APAC Supply Chain Playbook: AI, Resilience and Smart Trade-Offs.”

The session brought together supply chain leaders from companies including The Coca-Cola Company, Sephora, and Home Product Center to discuss how retailers and manufacturers navigate an unpredictable operating environment.

Leading the discussion was RELEX Solutions’ Director, Solution Strategy Mike Taylor, who unpacked the realities shaping supply chains in retail and manufacturing today.

More complex, interconnected supply chains

One of the webinar’s strongest themes centred on the growing interconnectedness of supply chain challenges.

Retailers, as explained by Taylor, are no longer dealing with isolated operational issues because margin pressure, labour shortages, stock availability, and unpredictable consumer demand are already influencing one another. This shift has made traditional problem-solving approaches less effective.

“Retail is struggling the most at trying to solve them sequentially: Fix the margins, then the availability, then labour,” Taylor said. “But it doesn't work that way. It's a systemic problem, and these are interconnected issues that need to be solved simultaneously.”

Organisations are now managing multiple disruptions at once, and this complexity is reshaping inventory strategies. Many companies previously relied heavily on safety stock and supplier diversification, but the rising carrying costs and margin pressures have become a driving force for businesses to rethink those approaches.

Rather than simply holding more stock, companies are now investing in predictive forecasting, smarter replenishment planning, and collaboration with suppliers and logistics partners. Taylor described this transition as a move from “inventory as insurance” to “inventory as an optimised asset. In this approach, resilience is driven more by visibility and responsiveness than inventory volume.

As AI adoption accelerates, so are concerns

AI emerged as one of the webinar’s central discussion points, particularly during the fireside chat and question-and-answer session.

Most organisations currently identify themselves as “curious” when it comes to AI adoption, meaning they are actively exploring the technology but not yet fully scaling it. Only a smaller percentage considered themselves “courageous,” or those who have already deployed AI at an enterprise level.

For Taylor, this reflects the reality that businesses are still trying to determine how AI can create measurable operational value. He stressed that successful implementation depends on having the right data foundation in place. “You can’t just throw AI over fragmented systems and expect it to solve everything,” he explained.

He further described AI as both a disruptor and an antidote, noting that whilst there are capabilities that truly support retailers and manufacturers, the industry is still figuring out what it all means.

Taylor highlighted during the discussion the importance of governance and human oversight, as most organisations still prefer human involvement when making critical supply chain decisions. But leaving a warning, Taylor noted that companies with no plans to adopt AI risk falling behind.

Adaptability as the real competitive advantage

Beyond technology, one of the webinar’s biggest practical takeaways was the importance of organisational mindset.

Taylor explained that the companies navigating disruption most effectively are often the ones willing to experiment quickly, evaluate results honestly, and adapt continuously. He added that the strongest performers are not necessarily the companies making the largest technology investments but those capable of learning faster than others.

The willingness to experiment, Taylor emphasised, is becoming increasingly important amidst simultaneous disruptions. “Everything has fundamentally changed, and that puts a lot of pressure on everybody. But the good news is that we're seeing a lot of innovation and a lot of constant improvement.”

Despite uncertainties, the webinar closed with a strong sense of cautious optimism. Taylor pointed out that 75% of surveyed supply chain leaders remain cautiously optimistic about the next 12 to 18 months.

As disruption becomes a permanent feature in the global supply chain landscape, resilience is no longer about preparing for a single crisis but about building organisations capable of responding continuously and at speed.

Missed the full discussion? Watch the on-demand webinar here for deeper insights on AI adoption, smarter inventory strategies, and the 2026 APAC supply chain outlook.