During Johnny Carson’s 30-year run as host of the Tonight Show (1962–1992) his character Carnac the Magnificent would frequently predict the answer to a question hidden in sidekick Ed McMahon’s secret envelope. For the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, food processors could have used some of Carnac’s magical insight—in this case, finding causes and solutions to certain supply chain failures.
Back in 2007, FE looked at tools—e.g., forecasting, scheduling and others—that could help processors get a better grip on their product flow and supply chains. Fifteen years ago, these tools, which may have been standalone or part of an ERP system, were not all that well connected or intuitive. Today’s tools are integrated through standards and smarter, because there’s more computing power behind the artificial intelligence (AI) that can learn how your supply chain works and make recommendations to keep ingredients and products flowing smoothly.