In an IDC InfoBrief titled ‘Building the Future of Supply Chains: AI-Driven Orchestration for Asia/Pacific Success’, 99.7% of supply chain leaders in Asia-Pacific identified agility as critical to their success. Yet, the region fraught with challenges — from cultural differences and language barriers to diverse regulations and uneven infrastructure — makes achieving agility feel like performing ballet while wearing concrete boots.
What’s really preventing the region’s supply chains from effectively responding to shifting demands and disruptions? How can companies maintain supply chain stability amid geopolitical tensions, labor issues, and increasing extreme weather events? Could artificial intelligence (AI) be the solution to these problems?
The IDC InfoBrief explores these challenges deeply and highlights methods and solutions businesses in the region are using to build stronger, more responsive supply chains.
What’s troubling APAC’s supply chains?
According to IDC, 99.5% of supply chain leaders in APAC consider visibility a top priority. Yet, most companies still lack the right systems to achieve complete visibility, leaving gaps in their supply chain operations. Over 35% say legacy IT systems lack flexibility and scalability, which prevents them from responding quickly to market changes and disruptions.
Supply chain leaders also face difficulties getting clear visibility into their sales and retail partner data. Supplier constraints and issues integrating new SaaS tools with older ERP systems slow down their operations.
When examined closely, APAC supply chains resemble a dial-up internet connection in the age of streaming — consumers expect instant access, but all they see is a spinning wheel of delay.
