The spine of any company, regardless of size, is its supply chain. Organizations that efficiently harness the massive volumes of available logistics data gain a significant competitive advantage. Multinationals already deploy artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to accelerate their supply chain analytics, turning data into actionable intelligence that leaders can use to make informed, impactful decisions. As businesses increasingly rely on data-driven strategies to optimize their supply chains, professionals with advanced analytics expertise are in high demand.
The Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) online Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in Business Analytics program prepares graduates to lead these supply chain transformations by combining traditional a MBA curriculum with specialized training in AI-driven analytics, predictive modeling and data visualization. The program’s STEM designation reflects its emphasis on quantitative analysis and technical expertise. These skills are essential for modern supply chain management and highly sought after by employers across industries.
How AI-driven Cognitive Analytics Transforms Supply Chain Decision-Making
Supply chain analytics leverage various types of data analytics processes to guide decision-making. Beyond common applications of descriptive and predictive analytics, tech giant IBM highlights the central role of AI-driven cognitive analytics in supply chain management. Cognitive analytics mimics human reason and understanding while drilling into enormous data sets to uncover trends and provide real-time insights and complex visualizations to represent those insights.
According to IBM, AI-driven cognitive technologies “can automatically sift through large amounts of data to help an organization improve forecasting, identify inefficiencies, respond better to customer needs, drive innovation and pursue breakthrough ideas.” Supply chain analytics leverages such technologies to predict outcomes and determine the best courses of action to achieve desired results.
Supply chain management professionals use these insights to create targeted, data-informed solutions to both current and future problems. The supply chain is fluid and dynamic, with seemingly constant disruption requiring business agility and adaptability. Employing advanced supply chain analytics provides real-time visibility along with predictive and prescriptive insights to support proactive, responsive and agile supply chain management.
What Are the Features of Advanced Supply Chain Analytics?
The COVID-19 pandemic inspired global conversations about fragile supply chain systems, as many industries struggled to manage widespread disruptions to existing supply chains. Companies with existing AI-driven logistics models, such as Amazon, adjusted and adapted supply chain processes quickly, while competitors with less agile systems lagged far behind.
Adopting advanced analytics and AI-driven supply chain optimization processes took on new urgency as businesses sought to repair supply chains and build greater resilience against future disruptions. For many businesses, integrating supply chain analytics resulted not only in better logistics decision-making and resilience to disruption, but also organization-wide benefits such as the following:
- Integrating data across the enterprise, optimizing visibility throughout operations
- Collaborating with supply chain partners and customers to innovate, improve and personalize processes
- Leveraging the capacity of integrated analytics to accelerate detection of supply chain disruptions, mitigate the impact and develop prevention strategies
- Gaining long-range insights and understanding while enhancing the ability to deliver immediate results
What Do Supply Chain Analytics Look Like in the Real World?
Companies use analytics to gain visibility into every link of their global supply chains. By integrating sales, inventory, logistics and other operational data, they can quickly adjust to immediate challenges, seize time-sensitive opportunities and make strategic decisions, according to CIO. CIO highlighted three companies to illustrate how multinationals use analytics to drive world-class supply chains:
- UPS’ business intelligence platform collects, organizes and analyzes billions of data points daily to manage its worldwide shipping network. The platform provides decision-makers with forward-looking predictive analytics that support real-time coordination of operations among more than 1,000 distribution centers in 120 countries, as well as its fleet of nearly 600 aircraft.
- PepsiCo leverages machine learning and predictive analytics to let customers know when it’s time to reorder. Integrating customer, manufacturing, sales and supply chain data enables the company to forecast precisely when retailers should place orders to keep their shelves stocked.
- Data-driven decision-making supported the accelerated manufacturing and global distribution of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic. By integrating end-to-end production and supply chain operations visibility, the company can predict disruptions before they occur and model potential solutions to avoid them.
Discover the Connection Between an MBA in Business Analytics and Supply Chain Management
Supply chain analytics represents one of the most critical applications of business analytics, requiring professionals who can integrate AI-driven technologies, predictive modeling and data visualization to optimize complex global operations. FGCU’s MBA in Business Analytics online program curriculum includes in-depth coursework on topics like data management, big data analytics and business intelligence tools, providing the technical foundation necessary to excel in supply chain roles while developing the strategic business acumen to lead organizational transformation.
The degree program prepares graduates for high-demand careers as supply chain analysts, operations managers, logistics consultants and business intelligence specialists. Additionally, the program’s STEM designation and AACSB accreditation position graduates to command competitive salaries while driving innovation in industries ranging from manufacturing and retail to pharmaceuticals and technology, where supply chain optimization remains a top strategic priority.
Learn more about Florida Gulf Coast University’s online Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Business Analytics program.
