AI Supply Chain BriefAI in Planning
Demand, inventory and S&OP. Stories from the AI Supply Chain Brief.
AI's appetite for memory just caused the worst quarter on record for smartphones
IDC's preliminary numbers show global smartphone shipments fell 22% year over year in the third quarter to about 255 million units, the steepest quarterly drop it has ever recorded. IDC blames the AI-driven memory shortage: memory costs are up roughly 350% from a year ago, and vendors have cut low-end models and raised prices. IDC expects pressure to last through 2027 and warns that some makers built ahead of next year's expected component squeeze, which could leave excess inventory if demand stays soft.
Read the story →So whatIf any of your products use DRAM or flash, treat memory as a constrained, fast-moving cost input in your plan.
Kao's AI agent drafts demand plans, and people still make the call
In an English release this week, Japanese consumer-goods maker Kao detailed Kao-MIKOMIL, an AI agent that layers planned promotions, channels and pricing on top of forecasts from its in-house AI forecasting model, then proposes a demand plan with its reasoning. Business staff review and approve the plan. It went live for the KATE cosmetics brand in July and will expand to other brands, as part of Kao's goal to cut cosmetics inventory about 25% by 2027 versus 2024.
Read the story →So whatThe useful pattern here is the split: a forecasting model for the baseline, and an AI agent that explains how promotions and launches…
TikTok tests an AI shopping assistant and one-click Buy Direct
TikTok is rolling out a conversational shopping assistant and Buy Direct, an in-feed checkout, to eligible advertisers. Integrations include Salesforce, Shopify and Stripe.
Read the story →So whatWhen demand moves into AI chat and social feeds, promotion spikes can arrive with little warning.
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