A recent survey conducted by FourKites and research firm YouGov has revealed that U.S. supply chain leaders are increasingly considering artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool for automating routine operations and addressing system inefficiencies. The findings, published in FourKites’ report Why You Should Rethink Your Supply Chain Tech, highlight ongoing challenges in the sector, including fragmented technology stacks, supply chain blind spots, and limited real-time insights.
The survey, which polled 250 supply chain professionals across the U.S., found that organizations rely on multiple systems for supply chain decision-making, with 75% of respondents stating they use between three and ten different platforms. Additionally, only 20% of organizations reported having real-time visibility into 75% or more of their supply chain operations.
Among the key findings:
- 38% of respondents identified supply chain blind spots as the most significant limitation of their current technology.
- 80% of companies reported that less than 75% of their supply chain is available in real time.
- 30% of large organizations stated that complex workflows across multiple systems prevent them from maximizing the value of their technology investments.
- Two-thirds of respondents indicated that it takes four hours or longer to assess the impact of a disruption.
- 75% of supply chain leaders believe AI could automate between 25% and 75% of routine supply chain tasks.
- 22% of shippers with more than $1 billion in revenue rated their supply chain control tower as highly effective at driving action.
AI is viewed as a potential solution for automating various supply chain functions, including carrier communications, appointment scheduling, exception management, and administrative tasks such as system entries and reporting. Respondents anticipate that AI could enhance customer satisfaction, improve on-time in-full (OTIF) performance, and reduce labour costs. However, over 40% expressed concerns regarding AI-related data security, system reliability, and costs.
“Companies in every industry are telling us the same thing: they’re drowning in data but starving for action. Too many companies have invested in multiple systems only to end up with low-quality data, limited insights, and inadequate decision-making capabilities,” said Mathew Elenjickal, founder and CEO of FourKites. “It’s clear the industry needs a breakthrough: a single source of truth connecting existing systems that empowers a digital workforce of AI agents to take action.”
The full survey results are available in FourKites’ report Why You Should Rethink Your Supply Chain Tech.