SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGY
Plus, as regulatory pressures increase, AI-enhanced SRM helps businesses track emissions, reduce waste and optimise transport utilisation, lowering CO₂ per shipment by as much as 34 % according to McKinsey.
As disruptions persist, integrating AI and sustainability into SRM practices is becoming a necessity for future-proofing global supply chains. This is something Steve Levy, Vice President of Enterprise Architecture for Distribution at Infor, is all too familiar with. As a firm believer in the power of AI and technology to transform business operations, he carries nearly a decade of experience at Infor and previous roles in wholesale distribution.
Here, Steve explains the complexities of supply chains and the critical role of innovation in building resilience.
How are next-gen AI platforms balancing automation with human oversight in critical SRM processes like contract negotiations? The industry has seen remarkable transformations in operational efficiency through next-generation AI platforms. Companies are leveraging data lakes( which store all data types for scalable analytics) and automation to streamline processes, resulting in a 30 % reduction in sales order processing time. More broadly, AI systems are now capable of interpreting customer communications, generating actionable insights and managing task distribution, all while maintaining human oversight for complex decisions. This balance is crucial – not to replace human expertise, but to enhance it.
What innovations are enabling organisations to remap supplier networks during disruptions, such as the Red Sea conflict? With all that’ s happened over the past few years, supply chain disruptions are no longer surprising – unfortunately, they’ re expected. Organisations are rewiring their supplier networks and, instead of reacting to delays, companies are using predictive intelligence to reroute shipments before problems arise.
This includes embracing multi-supplier ecosystems and nearshoring to reduce dependency on any single region and
116 May 2025