For years, logistics planning was built by looking backward. Sales history dictated how much to buy, inventories showed what had happened, and operational teams reacted only when the change in demand was already upon them.
That model is beginning to change. Artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and data integration are leading logistics chains toward an operation capable of detecting signals before they become problems and, in some processes, turning them into automated actions.
In an interview with T21, Irma Moreno, Sales Director for Mexico and Central America at Slimstock , a company specializing in supply chain optimization and planning, considered that this transition involves a logistics chain that was previously reactive to one that is much more predictive , “and we hope that little by little it will become basically autonomous.”
The change is largely due to the ability to process information that was previously impossible to review at the same speed. An AI tool can analyze large volumes of data, identify patterns, and detect changes in demand that a forecast built solely on historical data might miss.
According to a global DHL survey of more than 2,500 supply chain professionals, AI is the top trend group for future logistics transformation : 44% of participants ranked it as the main driver, ahead of robotics at 28%.
Automation is another process that involves the use of AI in logistics. Updating forecasts, calculating supply needs, recommending purchases or replenishments, identifying exceptions, and prioritizing certain operations are all tasks that can be supported by artificial intelligence and machine learning .
“There are many activities that are very repetitive within a supply chain, such as updating forecasts , calculating supplier needs, and making purchase or replenishment recommendations to stores, distribution centers, and points of sale that could be automated with AI,” he emphasized.
Earlier forecasting can change how transportation is contracted, shipments are scheduled, or decisions are made between ocean and air freight . When suppliers have lead times of six, eight, or even ten months, having early visibility can even change the financial equation of a transaction.
For Moreno, the key word is visibility . It’s not just about knowing where a product is, but about connecting the decisions that occur along the chain: demand, supply, logistics, and finance.
“When we talk about visibility, it means being able to see the operations from beginning to end, how they connect with each other,” he explained.
In that scenario, a change in demand can trigger a new supply forecast, generate an order to a supplier and trigger a logistics decision, where technology allows that sequence to be followed and, in certain cases, automated .
Currently, there are systems capable of generating purchase orders, calculating logistical capacities, and determining whether it is advisable to fill a container or make a partial shipment.
The phenomenon already has a measurable dimension. According to the second edition of the “State of Logistics 2025” study , prepared by SimpliRoute , 84% of companies had implemented technology or were in the process of adopting it, while the proportion that had integrated AI into some logistics process went from 34% to almost 52%.
According to the specialist, the goal of a digital transformation implies a paradigm shift and that the areas begin to operate in a synchronized manner, like an “orchestra”.
The next step points toward logistics with greater predictive capacity . Moreno considered that in the coming years some decisions in the sector could be automated when systems have enough information to recognize patterns and act according to pre-established rules; however, he said, speaking about the technological evolution of logistics, that the future of the industry “is already here.”
In their opinion, the combination of visibility and speed will become increasingly crucial in logistics and supply chain operations, supported by tools such as AI, digital twins, and warehouse automation.
According to Gartner, a business and technology analysis firm, “ warehousing has reached a tipping point in AI implementation , driven by three converging forces: labor shortages that make automation indispensable, the shift in capital models towards lower-risk entry points, and the operational maturity of AI and autonomy technologies.”
Thus, AI in the logistics sector is not simply arriving to speed up an existing process. Its impact begins when it connects the entire supply chain and allows a change in demand to result, almost immediately, in a decision regarding supply, transportation, or inventory.
AI in logistics arrives at ETYL MTY
The debate on artificial intelligence, automation and visibility will be one of the topics that will be developed at ETYL MTY , organized by Grupo T21 , which will take place on October 14 and 15 at the Presidente InterContinental Monterrey, in Nuevo León .
In Panel 4 “AI, automation and total visibility: the technological future of logistics” , specialists such as Sergio Islas, CEO of Siem Business ; and Francisco Fabila, general director of Ferrovalle , and other leading players in logistics, will address topics such as AI applied to supply chain , real-time traceability, digital twins, warehouse automation, predictive planning and logistics cybersecurity.
Comment and follow us on LinkedIn: @Humberto Cruz Moya / @GrupoT21
