Operations & supply chain
Operations that see problems coming and act on them.
At a glance
A shipment of a critical part will arrive four days late.
- Deployed AI
Half a day of a planner's time
The planner does the analysis
- Operational AI
Minutes, only for big calls
AI runs the plan; people make the hard calls
Illustration
What matters
What operations and supply chain teams are judged on.
On-time delivery
Commitments kept, and customers warned early when they cannot be.
Inventory and cost
Less stock tied up, fewer emergency orders.
Utilisation
People, vehicles and machines scheduled where they earn.
Fewer firefights
Exceptions caught early, with a plan already drafted.
Walkthrough
The same request, three ways.
The request
AlertKessel Metals, shipping notice
Delay: part ABX-200
Shipment SN-7781 now arrives Friday, four days late.
Quantity unchanged: 1,200 units.
Autonomy level 1
Deployed AI
A chat assistant. Someone asks, it answers, people do the rest.
- A person types
Our shipment of part ABX-200 is four days late. What should we do?
- AI replies
You could contact alternative suppliers, adjust your production schedule or inform affected customers. Consider reviewing your safety stock levels.
- Person
Planner. Checks stock, finds the affected orders, calls suppliers and rebuilds the schedule in a spreadsheet.
3 steps · one to a person · half a day of a planner's time
- How long
- Half a day of a planner's time
- Who does the work
- The planner does the analysis
- What keeps it safe
- None: general advice, not your data
- What goes to people
- Everything
Autonomy level 2
Specialised AI
It works from your data and tools and prepares the work. A person approves.
- Trigger
The shipping notice moves the arrival date.
- Tools
erp.stock("ABX-200") · erp.orders(uses "ABX-200", 14 days) · suppliers.approved("ABX-200")Returned: Stock covers two days. Eleven orders affected, three for top customers. One approved alternative can ship 400 units by Tuesday.
- AI replies
Option A: split production and expedite 400 units from the approved alternative. Option B: move two lower-priority orders by a week. Cost and service impact shown for both.
- Person
Planner. Chooses option A.
Approved - Action
Purchase order raised, schedule updated, account managers briefed.
5 steps · one to a person · about 30 minutes of a planner's time
- How long
- About 30 minutes of a planner's time
- Who does the work
- AI analyses and plans; the planner decides
- What keeps it safe
- Options costed; approved suppliers only
- What goes to people
- Every decision
Autonomy level 3
Operational AI
It runs the process within set limits, logs every step and hands people the exceptions.
- Trigger
Every change to supply, demand or capacity, as it happens.
- Rule
Re-plan within cost and service limits, from approved suppliers only.
Expedites under £2,500 go ahead. Substitute parts only if engineering has approved them.
- Action
Schedule re-planned and the expedite ordered from the approved alternative.
- Person
Exception: goes to a person
Account managers. Three top customers are affected, so their account managers tell them the new dates themselves, with the plan attached.
Escalated - Record
[06:40]Every change, cost and reason kept.
- Report
Weekly: on-time, in-full delivery, expedite spend, and exceptions with their causes.
6 steps · one to a person · minutes, only for big calls
- How long
- Minutes, only for big calls
- Who does the work
- AI runs the plan; people make the hard calls
- What keeps it safe
- Cost limits, approved suppliers, a change log
- What goes to people
- Top customers, costs above the limit, new parts
Controls
- Owner
- Head of operations
- Measure
- On-time, in-full delivery
- Limit
- Expedites under £2,500; approved suppliers only
- Log
- Every change and its reason
- Fallback
- Planners re-plan by hand
- Stop
- Freeze the plan in one switch
Illustrative: names, figures and timings are invented.
Where to start
Processes that pay back first.
3Run with exceptions
Exception alerts from your systems
Late, short or blocked, as it happens.
3Run with exceptions
Re-planning within limits
Bigger changes go to a person.
3Run with exceptions
Supplier follow-up
Chasers and confirmations.
2Automate with approval
Demand forecasting
The planner reviews each cycle.
2Automate with approval
Shift and route scheduling
Within labour and safety rules.
1Assist
Network and capacity decisions
AI models the options; leaders choose.
What we build and run
Built in your systems, run with your team.
- Exception monitoring across ERP, warehouse and transport data
- Re-planning agents with cost and service limits
- Supplier communication that runs itself
- Forecasts with the evidence shown
What we measure
Numbers you already track.
- On-time, in-full delivery
- Inventory days
- Expedite spend
- Planner hours on exceptions
- Forecast accuracy
The Academy
Learn to run it yourselves: the Operations & supply chain track.
Plan, schedule and track with AI, and measure what it saves.
Being built