Microsoft Announces AI Supply Chain Platform

(Credit: Microsoft)

Artificial intelligence and enhanced data use are becoming a key part of supply chain management, and Microsoft has announced the Microsoft Supply Chain Platform, which helps organizations maximize their supply chain data estate investment with an open approach using SaaS applications in a “composable platform,” the company says.

The company also announced the preview of Microsoft Supply Chain Center, a ready-made command center for supply chain visibility and transformation and part of the Microsoft Supply Chain Platform. Supply Chain Center is designed to work natively with an organization’s supply chain data and applications, with built-in collaboration, supply and demand insights, and order management.

The Microsoft Supply Chain Center provides a command center experience for practitioners to see data across existing infrastructure supply chain systems, such as data from Dynamics 365, and other ERP providers, including SAP and Oracle, along with standalone supply chain systems. Data Manager in Supply Chain Center enables data orchestration to provide visibility across the supply chain and drive action back into systems of execution, according to Microsoft. 

The supply and demand insights module uses Azure AI models to predict upstream supply constraints and shortages through supply intelligence. Organizations can perform simulations using data from their supply chain network to predict stock-outs, over-stocking or missed-order lines. Combined with smart news insights, which provide relevant news alerts in the Supply Chain Center on external events, supply chain practitioners can make decisions and plan with real-world event information and insights for product demands.

The order management module in Supply Chain Center lets organizations orchestrate fulfillment and automate it with a rules-based system using real-time inventory data, AI and machine learning. Organizations can adapt quickly to meet future order volumes and fulfillment complexities by extending their capabilities with prebuilt connectors to the best-of-breed of specialized technology partners for order intake, delivery and third-party logistics services.