A defining supply chain question is emerging: How do we build the talent and organizational structures needed for a future shaped by AI, automation, and constant change?

Accenture projects that U.S. supply chains will need 1.34 million additional workers by 2035, while the labor market is expected to add only 221,000. KPMG reports that 77% of supply chain leaders already face talent shortages.

For me, the opportunity extends beyond filling open positions. It is about redesigning how work gets done by bringing together intelligent systems, human judgment, and customer needs within one unified operating model. Technology can absorb more routine tasks, allowing people to focus on decision-making, relationship building, trade-offs, creativity, and leadership. Future value will come from how well organizations orchestrate both human and technological capabilities.

This shift will fundamentally change how we develop talent. Skills must evolve through practical learning, access to leaders, mentoring, and opportunities to apply new capabilities. Our latest TrailblazeHERS research reinforces the urgency of this challenge: only 14% of respondents feel very prepared for the impact AI and machine learning may have on their careers.

These questions will be central to discussions at our 13th DSCI Executive Leadership Forum in Tokyo, October 14–16. In partnership with CGE and IHG, we will convene leaders from organizations including ICC, Kuehne+Nagel, IBM Japan, Samsung SDS, SoftBank, Microsoft, NTT, Amazon Business, Allcargo and Li & Fung.

The program will bring together diverse perspectives on geopolitics, digital trade readiness, emerging technologies, trusted and secure AI-ready supply chains, and creating customer value and trust. We will connect DSCI research with hands-on operational learning, and what organizations are experiencing across industries and geographies.

After the Tokyo forum, we will translate these learnings into practical approaches that help our community develop talent, redesign work, and strengthen future operating models. This is how research becomes shared learning, and shared learning becomes action. It is how we prepare people and supply chains to become integral components of tomorrow’s intelligent enterprises.

For Craft, focusing on the government and defense sector earlier this year, has unquestionably been the right move. Rising defense spending is creating pressure to vet and monitor the defense supply chains at greater speed and scale. At the same time, a stream of new supply chain legal mandates is elevating the requirement for continuous supply chain screening and monitoring. Recent examples include the Executive Order: Securing America’s Defense Supply Chains and Ensuring Domestic Acquisition of Critical Materials, as well as the and the Department of War (DoW) formal notifications to 30 domestic academic institutions directing them to conduct immediate and comprehensive reviews of their academic, financial, and research collaborations with foreign entities of concern. Both developments occurred within the last two months. Yet many organizations still rely on manual, low-fidelity processes to meet these requirements.

The Digital Supply Chain Institute (DSCI) is pleased to welcome Kuehne+Nagel, one of the world’s leading logistics providers, as its newest member. As a global leader in transportation and logistics, Kuehne+Nagel brings deep expertise and a shared commitment to advancing more resilient, transparent, and digitally enabled supply chains. DSCI is excited to collaborate with Kuehne+Nagel on several strategic initiatives, including the 30-Day Research Sprint, the Constellation of Value (CoV) framework, and supply chain resilience efforts. Together, DSCI and Kuehne+Nagel look forward to driving research, innovation, and practical solutions that strengthen global supply chains in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.

Our recent research sprint on customer engagement across the automotive, luxury, and consumer sectors highlights a shift the automotive industry can no longer ignore: customers increasingly expect to manage every aspect of vehicle ownership from their phones. From charging and fueling decisions to service scheduling, software updates, and repair estimates, the traditional model, where the dealership served as the primary post-sale touchpoint, is being replaced by a continuous digital relationship.

The companies retaining customers most effectively are not necessarily those with the most sophisticated apps. They are the ones delivering reliable, trusted experiences through accurate service estimates, relevant notifications, and dependable recommendations. Loyalty programs can strengthen these relationships by rewarding behaviors such as proactive maintenance or efficient charging with benefits that extend across a broader ecosystem of services and partners. However, rewards only create value when the underlying digital experience is trusted.

This shift also has significant implications for the after-sales supply chain. Demand increasingly begins as a digital signal generated by vehicle data or customer behavior rather than a visit to a service center. Parts forecasting, technician scheduling, warranty management, and repair planning must all become more predictive and data-driven. As loyalty ecosystems expand to include charging providers, repair networks, and other partners, every participant must deliver a consistent experience. The leaders in customer retention are treating the app, partner ecosystem, and supply chain as a single, integrated operating system.

Mario E. Pérez Balladares E.
President, Panama Transshipment Group (PTG), Narval Holding Corp.

Ryan Rawding
Vice President of National Security, BigBear.ai

Eddy Dolan
Managing Partner, International Shipping Compliance (ISC) and former DHS Regional Attaché for Central America