AI IN SUPPLY CHAIN
Diego covers the forecasting, analytics, purchasing and delivery of products coming from the company’ s suppliers into its warehouses. Convincing stakeholders both inside and outside the company means showing them the data. When winemakers and distillers see hard numbers that prove AI delivers results, they start to back the tech and even bring it into their own processes. There’ s a broader context to this shift, too. Mark Wilkinson, Senior Vice President of the Business Division Unit at OpenText, sees the move to AI forecasting as part of a larger evolution across business sectors.
“ The business world is becoming more AI-driven every day, making AI forecasting models pivotal for strategic success,” he says. Mark’ s role involves steering OpenText’ s global business network operations while ensuring internal technology decisions enhance how the company runs and how it advises clients.
It’ s about building expertise that customers can trust – but trust is no small matter when companies are grappling with a data tsunami. Traditional methods just aren’ t cutting it anymore. Firms are overwhelmed by the sheer scale of information flowing in daily and without the right tools, key insights can easily slip through the cracks.
That’ s where OpenText steps in. It offers systems that capture, govern and move information securely across the globe. More than just managing data, the company’ s goal is to help businesses reimagine how they use information.
ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION: THE GLOBAL PICTURE
According to the World Health Organization( WHO), European countries – particularly Czechia, Latvia and Moldova – top the global chart in alcohol consumption per capita. By contrast, consumption remains very low in many Middle Eastern and North African countries. These contrasts demand nuanced forecasting models that consider far more than simple averages.
Southern Glazer’ s and OpenText are coming at the problem from different angles, but they’ re solving the same core challenge – how to use data not just to react, but to lead. In a market that moves quickly and relies on consistency, that’ s essential.
Data-driven resilience in a volatile market Navigating global alcohol distribution comes with its fair share of complications as regulatory shifts, tariffs and climate events all introduce a level of unpredictability that makes long-term planning difficult.
For Southern Glazer’ s Wine & Spirits, staying ahead means not only understanding these risks but having the tools in place to respond to them in real time. The company leans into agility and data-driven decision making
66 July 2025