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Every supply chain used to start with an order. Today, it starts with a prediction.
That’s the shift Danish Abbas – global supply chain manager at Amazon – described in a fireside chat with Pigment’s solutions principal, Laurent Bédu. It’s what’s helping the ecommerce giant redefine what speed, reliability, and resilience mean for global operations.
Together, these product and process leaders explored how data, culture, and human insights combine to create supply chains that think ahead, act faster, and deliver smarter.
Watch the full webinar here, or read on for the key takeaways.
1. Planning for immediacy
Abbas and his team are experts at designing systems that anticipate what customers will need before they hit the purchase button. As Abbas explained, this shift has helped Amazon rewrite the logistics playbook. “Customers who once compared Amazon to a brick-and-mortar store now compare every delivery to the fastest experience they’ve ever had,” he said.
Changes to supply chain planning are driven by the growing demand for convenience – faster, more immediate solutions. Designing for that kind of immediacy requires systems that can see what’s coming before it arrives.
“These models help us predict disruptions early and give us more time to pivot,” said Abbas. The goal is to build resilience into daily operations so systems can adjust smoothly even when conditions change.
Pigment’s platform takes the same approach, helping organizations plan proactively, test scenarios before decisions are made, and adapt in real time.
2. What’s overhyped and what’s quietly changing everything
The technologies that make headlines aren’t always the ones creating the biggest impact.
As Abbas explained, fully autonomous warehouses and robotics may draw attention. But the real progress happens in the background, in areas like demand sensing, predictive maintenance, and risk modeling.
These systems analyze shifting signals – from social media spikes to weather patterns and supplier data – to forecast demand, prevent downtime, and surface risks before they spread. “They don’t usually make the headlines,” Abbas said, “but they deliver massive impact very quietly.”
Together, these capabilities form the connective tissue of advanced supply chain planning – the everyday intelligence that keeps systems stable, efficient, and ready for whatever comes next.
3. Trust is the first step to earning buy-in
For Abbas, the challenge with AI in supply chain planning is just as much cultural as it is technical. The success of any system, he noted, depends on whether people trust it enough to use it.
“Trust comes with transparency,” said Abbas. “AI can’t be a black box that only a few people have access to. People need to understand why it’s recommending something. Once they understand the why, they’ll trust it.”
That transparency, he added, turns adoption into advocacy. When teams can see how a model reaches its conclusions, they’re more likely to rely on its insights and defend its decisions. Accountability matters just as much. Planners must validate and monitor AI systems, keeping human oversight visible at every step.
4. The role of planners is evolving
As AI takes on more of the repetitive work in supply chain management, the role of planners is shifting from execution to interpretation.
“Planners won’t disappear,” Abbas explained. “Instead of crunching spreadsheets all day, they’ll build scenarios, interpret AI outputs, and connect the dots across the team.”
He described this as a move from reaction to coordination – less firefighting, more orchestration. The job becomes about shaping decisions, connecting insights across departments, and managing exceptions with context and judgment.
“The tools are only as good as the teams behind them,” added Abbas. “The ones who blend digital capabilities with agile, empowered talent will continue to lead.”
5. Agentic AI as a window into a living supply chain
Looking ahead, Abbas described agentic AI as a turning point for supply chain planning. These systems, he explained, can not only predict what’s likely to happen but also model how to respond.
“I call them the digital twins,” Abbas said. “Entire supply chains simulated in real time. Imagine stress-testing your network against a port strike or a sudden surge in demand and fixing issues virtually before they happen physically.”
He described digital twins as living systems that mirror the real network minute by minute. “Every node, every route, every supplier. You can see them moving on screen,” he said. “If something shifts, the model shifts with it.”
That kind of real-time simulation allows planners to test thousands of scenarios before making a single operational change. “You can see how a decision ripples through the system before you act,” Abbas said. “It saves time – but, more importantly, it builds confidence.”
6. On AI pitfalls
Not every AI investment delivers. Abbas pointed to a pattern he's seen repeatedly across the industry: teams implementing powerful tools without a clear problem to solve.
“The biggest pitfall with AI is falling in love with the tech before the problem,” Abbas said. “AI has to solve something real. Otherwise, it just becomes a buzzword – something cool people talk about but never use.”
That mindset guides how Amazon approaches AI in its supply chain. Technology serves the goal, not the other way around. “The challenge is to do both. Be fast, and be responsible,” explained Abbas. “That means smarter forecasting, better routing, and rethinking packaging.”
The principle is simple. Lead with outcomes, then apply the technology that makes them possible.
Conclusion
Across each stage of the discussion, Abbas returned to a single idea: progress in supply chain planning isn’t about technology alone. It’s about how data, culture, and people come together to turn prediction into action.
“The next step is autonomy,” he said. “Supply chains that don’t just predict, but act.”
That evolution is already underway. As AI takes on more operational complexity, planners move from reacting to events to designing for them – building systems that anticipate change, adapt in real time, and improve with every decision.
Watch the full conversation
Hear Amazon’s Danish Abbas and Pigment’s Laurent Bédu discuss how AI is redefining the pace of supply chain planning – and what it means for data, trust, and resilience.
View the 17-minute fireside chat →
Conversations like this are just the beginning. Join Pigment’s mailing list to get notified about upcoming webinars, expert discussions, and new perspectives on the future of planning.
See supply chain in motion
AI is reshaping the way supply chains plan, adapt, and make decisions. Pigment’s agentic solution turns that evolution into something tangible: an intelligent, connected system where teams can anticipate risk, test strategies, and plan for what’s next.
