Supply Chain Management in the AI Era: A Vision Statement from the Operations Management Community
Cohen, Maxime Dai, Tinglong Perakis, Georgia Agrawal, Narendra Allon, Gad Cachon, Gerard Chen, Zhe Cohen, Morris Christian, Rares
Cohen, Maxime
Dai, Tinglong
Perakis, Georgia
Agrawal, Narendra
Allon, Gad
Cachon, Gerard
Chen, Zhe
Cohen, Morris
Christian, Rares
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2026
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Manufacturing & Service Operations Management
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Abstract
Problem definition: Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the research and practice of supply chain management. Yet its impact depends on how effectively it is integrated with the theories, methods, and fundamental principles of operations management (OM), which must also evolve to account for the informational, incentive, and institutional changes brought by AI. The OM community has an important role and responsibility to lead in shaping not only how AI transforms supply chains, but also how the supply chains that enable AI are designed to be sustainable, resilient, and equitable. Methodology/results: This vision statement organizes the discussion around five layers of the interaction between AI and supply chain management—intelligence, execution, strategy, human, and infrastructure. It synthesizes recent research and industry practice to show how AI enhances forecasting, planning, decision making, risk management, and human–machine collaboration, and also examines the supply chains that support AI. Finally, it highlights persistent challenges in data quality, model integration, governance, and workforce adaptation. Managerial implications: Realizing AI’s promise in supply chain management requires reliable data and infrastructure, integration of learning and optimization, transparent and explainable decision systems, and a long-term commitment to human–AI collaboration. Together, these elements form the foundation for resilient, adaptive, and trustworthy supply chains in the AI era.
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Artificial Intelligence, Human AI-Collaboration, Machine Learning, Operations Management, Optimization, Resilience, Supply Chain Management