Global Supply Chains in the Age of Ai: Strategies and Emerging Technologies

The rise of AI and its convergence with emerging technologies like IoT, digital twins, robotics, and blockchain is revolutionizing multiple industries. This book reveals how emerging technologies can fortify supply chains against vulnerabilities and reshape them into sustainable, resilient and efficient systems. It offers a comprehensive explanation of these technologies and their practical applications, backed by compelling case studies.The COVID-19 pandemic turbocharged public awareness of supply chains, and geopolitical crises have intensified this awareness. These events revealed vulnerabilities in supply chains, emphasizing the urgent need for resilience and sustainability. The book illustrates how AI and emerging technologies can fulfil this need. It provides lessons learned from these and other occurrences to plan, prepare, and build a path forward.This book begins by tracing the evolution of the global supply chain since World War II. It then explores traditional technologies utilized to increase supply chain efficiencies, followed by chapters providing a deep dive into cutting-edge emerging technological innovations and how they are transforming the supply chain and strengthening it against vulnerabilities. It concludes with diverse perspectives on the path forward. Each of the seven chapters is enriched with relevant case studies that illustrate the tangible impacts of these technological solutions.This book is essential reading for anyone interested in AI and emerging technologies in supply chains. It is ideal for academics and students -- postgraduate and advanced undergraduate -- and as a practical guide for industry professionals, corporate executives, and government officials, to address supply chain management issues and apply technologies and systems for optimization. The case studies have links to online resources for further exploration and can be used as student assignments.