By Jeff Morrison, senior VP, global purchasing and supply chain, General Motors
By Jeff Morrison, senior VP, global purchasing and supply chain, General Motors
Supply chain management is like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle on a moving train. The puzzle itself is tricky, and the train’s bumps and shakes make everything unpredictable. You have to adjust quickly and stay focused as new challenges pop up with every jolt so you can solve the puzzle before the train arrives at your stop.
As supply chain managers, we have to face and embrace that constant change. Our job isn’t just to solve one problem, but to keep solving as the variables around us change. Like working on a puzzle, we use careful planning and quick thinking to keep everything running smoothly, even when the world won’t sit still.
But without the right data and insights, even the best supply chain teams can feel like they’re solving an ever-shifting jigsaw puzzle in the dark.
Now picture an expert companion on the train who can instantly read the puzzle and shine a light on bumps ahead that humans might miss. Because when you’re trying to solve a puzzle before your stop, every second matters. That’s what several AI-powered tools offer supply chain teams: rapid data analysis, pattern recognition, and smart recommendations.
It’s easy to chase the hype with AI. But at GM, we view AI as a practical, yet transformative force. It is a competitive advantage to unlock enterprise-wide innovation and efficiencies up and down the value chain, from manufacturing and supply chain to the customer experience.
For years, we’ve been using advanced machine learning, AI, and data analytics to provide greater visibility and predictive insights into our global supply chain – identifying and mitigating problems long before they arise.
The semiconductor supply chain crisis of the early 2020s permanently reshaped the global auto manufacturing landscape. In the depths of that crisis, our supply chain team dug in and rose to the challenge. The process taught us many things, but foremost among them was the undeniable need for deeper insights into our vulnerabilities and a stronger capability to anticipate, mitigate, and respond to disruptions effectively.
To address these challenges, we developed a digital supply chain toolset to anticipate and swiftly respond to potential supplier and GM facility disruptions. This tool set includes:
Risk Intelligence: Using the power of AI and machine learning, this tool classifies, summarizes and tags thousands of daily public posts to anticipate risk in GM’s supply chain, such as natural disasters or other disruptions.
SupplyHealth: With the cooperation of our supply partners, this tool monitors thousands of sites to detect and flag high-risk situations so the team can take action before an issue escalates.
SupplyMap: Collects data from thousands of suppliers around the world, ranging from our direct suppliers to the many levels that feed into them. It uses this data to compile a detailed, map-based view of the network, increasing visibility and understanding of where risks may occur.
SupplyAlert: A centralized communications platform activated once a risk has been identified. This tool combs through internal data and flags key risks to team members who can take pre-emptive action.
Developed largely in-house leveraging smart partnerships and launched with the cooperation of our suppliers in 2022, these tools have enhanced GM’s visibility across our complex supply chain and allowed our teams to act more quickly to mitigate risks and improve our efficiency.
Our suppliers play a critical role in the development and effectiveness of our AI supply chain tools. We have deployed comprehensive training and tools to support them as they map the entirety of their value chains. This two-way communication allows us to act quickly in support of our suppliers when issues arise. Because in the end, our supplier partners benefit from these tools as much as we do.
So instead of solving a jigsaw puzzle in the dark on a bouncing train, AI is helping our supply chain team at GM illuminate the path ahead and build a stronger business for our customers.
Jeff Morrison leads GM’s worldwide purchasing. His team collaborates with over 18,000 global suppliers to deliver exceptional vehicle quality, innovation and value to GM customers. Since joining GM in 2006, Jeff has led global engineering, procurement and logistics organizations for GM in the U.S. and Germany.
Comments or questions: news@gm.com
Supply chain management is like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle on a moving train. The puzzle itself is tricky, and the train’s bumps and shakes make everything unpredictable. You have to adjust quickly and stay focused as new challenges pop up with every jolt so you can solve the puzzle before the train arrives at your stop.
As supply chain managers, we have to face and embrace that constant change. Our job isn’t just to solve one problem, but to keep solving as the variables around us change. Like working on a puzzle, we use careful planning and quick thinking to keep everything running smoothly, even when the world won’t sit still.
But without the right data and insights, even the best supply chain teams can feel like they’re solving an ever-shifting jigsaw puzzle in the dark.
Now picture an expert companion on the train who can instantly read the puzzle and shine a light on bumps ahead that humans might miss. Because when you’re trying to solve a puzzle before your stop, every second matters. That’s what several AI-powered tools offer supply chain teams: rapid data analysis, pattern recognition, and smart recommendations.
It’s easy to chase the hype with AI. But at GM, we view AI as a practical, yet transformative force. It is a competitive advantage to unlock enterprise-wide innovation and efficiencies up and down the value chain, from manufacturing and supply chain to the customer experience.
For years, we’ve been using advanced machine learning, AI, and data analytics to provide greater visibility and predictive insights into our global supply chain – identifying and mitigating problems long before they arise.
The semiconductor supply chain crisis of the early 2020s permanently reshaped the global auto manufacturing landscape. In the depths of that crisis, our supply chain team dug in and rose to the challenge. The process taught us many things, but foremost among them was the undeniable need for deeper insights into our vulnerabilities and a stronger capability to anticipate, mitigate, and respond to disruptions effectively.
To address these challenges, we developed a digital supply chain toolset to anticipate and swiftly respond to potential supplier and GM facility disruptions. This tool set includes:
- Risk Intelligence: Using the power of AI and machine learning, this tool classifies, summarizes and tags thousands of daily public posts to anticipate risk in GM’s supply chain, such as natural disasters or other disruptions.
- SupplyHealth: With the cooperation of our supply partners, this tool monitors thousands of sites to detect and flag high-risk situations so the team can take action before an issue escalates.
- SupplyMap: Collects data from thousands of suppliers around the world, ranging from our direct suppliers to the many levels that feed into them. It uses this data to compile a detailed, map-based view of the network, increasing visibility and understanding of where risks may occur.
- SupplyAlert: A centralized communications platform activated once a risk has been identified. This tool combs through internal data and flags key risks to team members who can take pre-emptive action.
Developed largely in-house leveraging smart partnerships and launched with the cooperation of our suppliers in 2022, these tools have enhanced GM’s visibility across our complex supply chain and allowed our teams to act more quickly to mitigate risks and improve our efficiency.
Our suppliers play a critical role in the development and effectiveness of our AI supply chain tools. We have deployed comprehensive training and tools to support them as they map the entirety of their value chains. This two-way communication allows us to act quickly in support of our suppliers when issues arise. Because in the end, our supplier partners benefit from these tools as much as we do.
So instead of solving a jigsaw puzzle in the dark on a bouncing train, AI is helping our supply chain team at GM illuminate the path ahead and build a stronger business for our customers.
Jeff Morrison leads GM’s worldwide purchasing. His team collaborates with over 18,000 global suppliers to deliver exceptional vehicle quality, innovation and value to GM customers. Since joining GM in 2006, Jeff has led global engineering, procurement and logistics organizations for GM in the U.S. and Germany.
Comments or questions: news@gm.com