SCN Best of 2025: AI, Human Ingenuity, and the Next Era of Supply Chains

Dec 24, 2025

This episode features Gaurav Malhotra, Partner and supply chain technology leader at EY. With his extensive experience in AI and digital transformation, Gaurav reveals how organizations can harness AI for resilient supply chains. He debunks common misconceptions and discusses practical steps for overcoming pilot paralysis. The conversation also highlights the immediate benefits of AI in logistics, emphasizing that technology should enhance human creativity rather than replace it. Gaurav envisions a future with autonomous, orchestrated supply chains that empower workforce innovation.

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ANECDOTE

Kauai Pilgrimage Reveals Supply Chain Layers

Gaurav described a decades-long family pilgrimage to a hand-carved monastery in Kauai that required skilled artisans and complex logistics.
He also recounted a tsunami evacuation there and praised local humanitarian logistics that moved people to safety within hours.

INSIGHT

You Don't Need Perfect Data

Gaurav debunked the myth that AI needs pristine factory data to deliver value and said AI can work with structured and unstructured sources.
He urged organizations not to wait for perfect data before starting AI initiatives.

ADVICE

Set Foundational Guards Before Scaling AI

Establish enterprise governance, risk, security, trust, integration, and architecture before scaling AI to avoid pilot purgatory.
Prioritize use cases, define outcomes, and build a continuous improvement loop for AI adoption.

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In this classic episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton and Tevon Taylor welcome Gaurav Malhotra, Partner and Supply Chain Technology Leader at EY, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming supply chains today and where it’s headed over the next five years. Gaurav shares how EY is helping organizations embrace emerging technologies to create competitive advantage, avoid “pilot purgatory,” and build more cognitive and resilient supply chains.

They cover practical misconceptions holding companies back from adopting AI, the foundational elements required for successful implementation, and real-world examples of immediate impact in logistics, predictive maintenance, and warehouse operations. Gaurav also discusses how organizations can invest in workforce education, reskilling, and culture change to ensure that humans remain at the center of AI adoption. Looking ahead, he offers his perspective on how agentic AI will reshape supply chains into adaptive, orchestrated ecosystems while freeing people to focus on creativity, critical thinking, and enterprise differentiation.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Intro

(04:13) A personal story family pilgrimage to Kauai

(07:34) The intersection of supply chain and humanitarian efforts

(09:52) Ey’s role in global supply chain

(15:20) Misconceptions about AI in factories

(18:09) Overcoming pilot paralysis

(22:29) Immediate benefits of AI in supply chain

(26:25) AI’s impact on supply chain efficiency

(27:18) The role of agentic AI in factories

(31:43) Human element in AI-driven supply chains

(36:17) Upskilling and reskilling for the AI era

(43:05) Future predictions for AI in supply chains

Additional Links & Resources:

Connect with Gaurav Malhotra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gauravmalhotra/
Learn more about EY: https://www.ey.com/
Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now
Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join
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This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and Tevon Taylor and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/ai-human-ingenuity-next-era-supply-chains-1480

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