As global supply chains face mounting complexity, AI is evolving from a tool that informs to one that acts — and that shift is happening faster than most anticipated. In this session from SAP Connect Virtual, Koen Jacobs, Global CRO for Supply Chain Management at SAP, and SangJoon Kim, Director of Next Generation Supply Chain Management at LG Innotek, explore what the autonomous supply chain means in practice — and what it takes to get there.
Koen Jacobs outlines the current state of AI adoption: while more than 90% of companies have run AI pilots, most have been limited to a single domain such as planning or logistics. The next frontier is cross-functional AI that can sense, decide, and execute autonomously across end-to-end supply chain processes — from demand forecasting and supplier collaboration to fulfillment and risk management. A live audience poll reinforced this, with forecasting leading at 42% of perceived AI impact, while responses were broadly spread across supplier collaboration and risk management — signaling that practitioners see the full supply chain, not just one domain, as the opportunity.
LG Innotek brings this vision to life. SangJoon Kim shares how his team partnered with SAP to co-develop an SCM Analytic Agent built on SAP IBP — addressing a core pain point where planners spent more time gathering data than making decisions. The solution follows a three-phase model inspired by autonomous driving: perception (understanding what is happening), learning (how planners respond), and ultimately autonomous action. The key differentiator, Kim emphasizes, is that business AI must understand company-specific processes, terminology, and operational rules — something a generic AI or chatbot cannot deliver.
The session makes clear that the future of supply chain belongs to those who move boldly from insight to action.