Supply Chain Under Pressure: Why Insight and People, Not Just Data, Holds the Key
Stephen Ashton has spent much of his career helping organisations navigate supply chain complexity. In his view, the challenges businesses face today are unlike anything seen before.
“Supply chains sit at the crossroads of every major disruption,” Stephen explains. “Wars, inflation, tariffs, political shifts – they all land at the feet of supply chain leaders.”
He believes the industry is grappling with three interconnected pain points:
The Visibility Gap: Supply Chain Data Remains Fragmented
Supply chains are more global and fragmented than ever. A retailer might source from forty different countries, each subject to shifting regulations and volatile costs. Leaders need visibility across these networks, yet the information they hold is often scattered in disconnected systems. “It’s not that businesses lack data,” Stephen notes, “it’s that the data is inaccessible, slow to analyse, or impossible to translate into something actionable.”
Decision-Making is Hindered by Risk
Executives face pressure to make investment calls worth hundreds of millions of pounds like decisions on new distribution centres, retail footprints, or technology platforms. However, these commitments unfold over decades in a world where certainty is in short supply. “Risk aversion is causing many businesses to slow their pace of decision making and innovation,” Stephen says. “Without clear insight, decisions become guesswork, and the probability of getting it wrong increases.”
The Balance Between People and Technology
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are changing the way industries work, and the supply chain is no exception. But Stephen warns against treating technology as a silver bullet. “AI can process billions of rows of data, but it cannot tell you the right questions to ask. Human expertise is essential. Without it, all you have is noise.”
The Opportunity Ahead
For Stephen, the answer lies in combining human intelligence with smart technology to deliver real-time insight. This doesn’t just reduce risk, it enables organisations to adapt with speed when the market shifts.
“Supply chain has often been the poor relation – noticed when something breaks, ignored when it runs well. But it’s people, not systems, who unlock new ways of thinking. It’s not about relying on vast pools of data or the promise of AI alone. The real value lies in how we interpret that data, apply human insight, and layer that understanding over technology to navigate rapid change, political and economic uncertainty, and shifting market dynamics. That’s the Visku difference: we don’t just give you the technology and tools to aggregate the data and try to make sense of it alone. We offer the experienced and intellectual insight to help you interrogate that data properly, so you can make the most informed plans and decisions with the least risk.”
Technology, however, and its advancements are here to stay. In today’s fast-paced world, the speed at which data can be processed is truly astounding. Technology allows us to handle complex computations and manage vast amounts of information in the blink of an eye. This rapid data processing capability not only saves us valuable time but also enhances our efficiency and decision-making processes.
Moreover, the field of machine learning is revolutionising the way we approach problem-solving and innovation. By leveraging advanced algorithms and data analysis, machine learning enables us to uncover patterns, make predictions, and automate tasks that were once thought to be the exclusive domain of human intelligence. This opens up a world of possibilities, from improving customer experiences to optimising operations and beyond”.