Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize the supply chain, leveraging existing infrastructure for swift adoption. Implementing AI effectively requires a strategic approach.

First, forming a Cross-Functional AI Council is crucial. By involving leaders from operations, finance, legal, and HR, companies can ensure AI initiatives receive holistic attention that spans departments. This is essential because AI affects all aspects of an organization.

Next, aligning AI investments with the company's mission statement is key. Identifying use cases that resonate with core values helps secure buy-in. Balancing customer-centric goals, like efficiency and profit, with internal aims, such as employee engagement, fosters a supportive environment for AI projects.

Establishing governance and ethics from the outset safeguards against data privacy issues and algorithmic bias. This proactive approach ensures AI operates fairly and builds trust across the organization.

To further support implementation, companies should prioritize employee well-being by deploying AI tools to enhance their work experience. For instance, AI can monitor ergonomics to reduce workplace injuries, transforming how employees interact with their tasks.

Automation is another area where AI shines, streamlining monotonous tasks. Rather than having workers manually input data, AI can process information from images, significantly speeding up operations.

Moreover, translating complex system errors into understandable language empowers employees to address issues promptly, further enhancing operational efficiency.

Lastly, testing AI innovations with existing customers or partners can refine solutions using historical data, leading to actionable insights. Targeting high-ROI automation opportunities, such as dynamic route and inventory optimization, can yield significant cost savings and improve overall supply chain performance.

Retail Frontier Firms are transforming their operating models to adapt to fast-evolving markets, leveraging AI to enhance decision-making and execution across various commerce channels. Instead of merely improving isolated functions, these firms are reimagining the entire commerce landscape, allowing AI agents to collaborate with humans to drive quicker, more consistent outcomes. This shift is crucial as retailers address rising customer expectations, margin pressures, volatile demand, and labor shortages, necessitating continuous decision-making.

AI systems are integrated where key decisions are made—stores, digital shelves, merchandising, pricing, fulfillment, customer service, and checkout. AI agents analyze signals from various sources, coordinating actions effectively throughout the organization. This heightened agility ensures retailers can adapt swiftly and reliably across multiple touchpoints.

Central to this transformation is the Model Context Protocol (MCP), offering a unified understanding of products, inventory, and customer intent. This shared context fosters aligned decision-making across the retail landscape. With MCP, AI agents can perform numerous functions securely and in real time, facilitating smoother operations in merchandising and supply chain management. The Agent Communication Protocol (ACP) allows seamless collaboration among agents, enhancing execution and reducing fragmentation.

As consumer expectations for frictionless, cross-channel shopping experiences increase, agentic AI facilitates real-time adaptations to customer needs—guiding product discovery, optimizing inventory, and streamlining fulfillment. Retailers can deploy AI agents in three distinct ways: utilizing embedded Dynamics 365 agents, developing custom agents through MCP, and leveraging partner solutions tailored for specific retail scenarios.

Together, these innovations equip retailers to provide relevant, anticipatory commerce experiences at scale, positioning them for sustainable growth in an increasingly complex retail environment. By embracing agentic commerce underpinned by Dynamics 365, retailers can align strategy, execution, and customer experience seamlessly across all channels.

CSCS Introduces SCOTI™, an AI-Driven Supply Chain Platform for Comprehensive Orchestration

ALPHARETTA, GA, UNITED STATES, January 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — CSCS proudly announces the launch of SCOTI™ (Supply Chain Optimization, Traceability & Integration), an innovative platform that harnesses Agentic AI technology to alleviate the significant challenges faced by modern supply chains.

SCOTI™ differentiates itself by utilizing a multi-agent architecture, enabling real-time planning, execution, monitoring, and adaptation of supply chain operations. This intelligent system automates decision-making in crucial areas such as transportation, warehousing, demand planning, and IoT integration. Consequently, it transforms supply chains from reactive entities into proactive, profit-generating assets.

With SCOTI™, organizations benefit from a seamless end-to-end supply chain experience, covering everything from purchase orders to delivery. It integrates smoothly with existing ERP, WMS, TMS, and OMS systems, eliminating the need for costly platform overhauls. This unified integration layer offers real-time visibility, connecting previously fragmented systems.

The platform's capabilities include continuous operational monitoring, anomaly detection, and automated corrective actions. With over 1,000 prebuilt connectors, SCOTI™ boasts a cloud-agnostic approach, facilitating faster deployment and less reliance on IT resources. Organizations can expect benefits such as reduced operating costs, improved fulfillment accuracy, and elimination of data silos.

“Traditional supply chain platforms lack the advanced AI needed to turn supply chains into profitable entities,” said Mansoor Khan, CEO of CSCS. SCOTI™ delivers sophisticated integration and AI-driven optimization at a fraction of the cost of legacy systems, particularly benefiting mid-market organizations burdened with disconnected processes.

Customers typically realize a rapid return on investment, often within nine months, due to lower labor costs, fewer execution mistakes, optimized transportation spending, and balanced inventory levels. CSCS is committed to modernizing the supply chains of mid-market companies through accessible, AI-driven solutions.

Afresh has appointed Adam Litle as Chief Revenue Officer to drive the growth of its AI platform across the food and grocery supply chain. Following an impressive year with over 70% year-over-year growth and utilization in more than 12,000 grocery departments in North America, the appointment signals Afresh's commitment to enhancing its AI offerings in the grocery sector. Litle will contribute his extensive experience in technology and agriculture to assist in this mission.

In the past year, Afresh has collaborated with major U.S. grocery retailers like Albertsons and Meijer, enabling their teams in merchandising, operations, and supply chain management to leverage AI for optimizing fresh food categories. New product launches in 2025, including Production Planning and Fresh Buying, have allowed the company to support growth in both U.S. and international markets.

The AI platform developed by Afresh aims to address the alarming statistic of 30-40% food waste in global production. It utilizes advanced algorithms to manage intricate factors that influence buying, ordering, and inventory, significantly enhancing decision-making across produce, meat, deli, and baked goods. This technology not only streamlines operations but also empowers grocery teams with real-time insights into inventory needs and demand fluctuations.

As grocery teams navigate increasing volatility, Litle's leadership will be vital in expanding Afresh's impact by turning complex AI capabilities into tangible value for customers. With a steadfast mission to reduce food waste and improve profitability for grocers, Afresh is poised to revolutionize the fresh food supply chain.