Hybrid intelligent supply chains: leveraging human and artificial intelligence for enhanced supply chain resilience
摘要
As supply chain disruptions such as COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, or the blockade of the Suez Canal pose particular challenges for companies, supply chain resilience is increasingly becoming a competitive advantage. As a result, the requirements on strategic supply chain management change. Shorter cycles, e.g., between disruptions or product releases raise the need for a higher proactivity. The implementation of AI in supply chains offers potential as practitioners and researchers expect AI to contribute to enhancing supply chain resilience. At the same time, studies show that the introduction of AI in supply chain management can only succeed if human factors are considered. Many companies rely on AI-supported processes in which human and artificial intelligence collaborate with one another. Researchers highlight hybrid intelligence as the beneficial combination of human and AI. This paper addresses the question of how artificial and human intelligence can be combined to improve supply chain resilience. We use four practical processes of disruption monitoring, impact evaluation, alternative sourcing, and safety stock management, to analyze the interplay between human and artificial intelligence. The findings are summarized in propositions concerning the impact and role of both kinds of intelligence. Practical implications include success factors for the implementation of AI in supply chain management, e.g., orchestrating a hybrid intelligent process in a trust-based environment, or change management. Practical examples provide evidence about how supply chain resilience can be improved with the help of AI.