The Logistics of Logistics

Dr. Yossi Sheffi and Joe Lynch discuss AI and the future of supply chain, which is the central theme of Yossi’s latest book, The Magic Conveyor Belt: Supply Chains, A.I., and the Future of Work. Yossi is the Elisha Gray II professor of Engineering Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he serves as Director of the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (CTL).

About Dr. Yossi Sheffi

Dr. Yossi Sheffi is the Elisha Gray II professor of Engineering Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he serves as Director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics (CTL). He is an expert in systems optimization, risk and resilience, and supply chain management, topics he researches and teaches at MIT and other leading business and engineering schools. Professor Sheffi is the author of a 1985 textbook on transportation networks and eight management books, dealing with supply chain resilience, sustainability, industrial clustering, and other business management issues. His latest books include The New (Ab)Normal: Reshaping Business and Supply Chain Strategy Beyond Covid-19 (2020) and A Shot in the Arm: How Science, Engineering, and Supply Chains Converged to Vaccinate the World (2021). His latest book, The Magic Conveyor Belt: Supply Chains, A.I., and The Future of Work, was released in April 2023. Under his leadership, MIT CTL has launched many educational, research, and industry/government outreach programs, including the MIT Master of Engineering in Logistics program in 1998, the MIT Master of Applied Sciences in Supply Chain Management, and the MIT on-line offering, MITx MicroMasters program in supply chain management. Launched in 2016, the program had its one millionth registrant at the end of 2022. Outside academia, Professor Sheffi has consulted with numerous government agencies as well as leading manufacturing, retail, and transportation enterprises all over the world. He is also an active entrepreneur, having founded five successful companies, all acquired by larger enterprises, and a sought-after speaker at corporate and professional events.

About The Magic Conveyor Belt (Yossi's new book)

The societal and economic spasms of the early 2020s highlighted the crucial role of world-spanning supply chains in the modern global economy, as well as the growing role of digital technology, including A.I. and automation, in the future economy. In The Magic Conveyor Belt, MIT Professor Yossi Sheffi explains what supply chains are, how they operate, and how the integration of advanced technology with people and processes will be the hallmark of future supply chain management. Professor Sheffi lays the foundation for understanding supply chains and the characteristics that make them complex. In Part 1 of the book, “The Global Dance,” he delves into the often-hidden intrinsic structure of supply chains to ground the reader in the challenges of managing the mammoth networks involved. Part 2, “Further Complexity and Challenges,” shows how the last 50 years have added even more complexity to supply chains. This part covers the rising demand for goods, as well as the increasing consumer expectations for fast, perfect delivery services. The capabilities and future roles of automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence are changing and augmenting the jobs held by workers—covered in Parts 3 and 4. Elements of the book trace the implications of multiple trends in the operating environment for tomorrow’s global supply chains, as they change and augment the jobs held by workers. While many of the new skills require technical knowhow, it is social skills, ironically, that may be a key for future human employment in an economy dominated by technology.

About MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (CTL)

The MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics has been a global leader in supply chain management innovation, education, and research for fifty years. It has educated practitioners worldwide and has helped numerous companies gain a competitive advantage from its cutting-edge research.

Key Takeaways: AI and the Future of Supply Chain

Dr. Yossi Sheffi is the Elisha Gray II professor of Engineering Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he serves as Director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics (CTL).
In the podcast interview, Yossi and Joe discuss AI and the future of supply chain, which is the central theme of Yossi’s latest book, The Magic Conveyor Belt: Supply Chains, A.I., and the Future of Work
The topics below were touched on in the podcast and covered in much more depth in Yossi's book, The Magic Conveyor Belt:
Demystifying the murky depths, twists, and turns of supply chains.
A.I. - job killer or job creator?
The 5^th Industrial Revolution: Why human and A.I. collaboration is the future.
Exploring the complex production systems of consumer goods, from Grape-Nuts to diapers.
The March of the Machines: fears of job-stealing tech across time.
Following the journey of the t-shirt from factory to retailer.
How critical components can flip a supply chain from plenty to shortages.
The impact of digital technology on supply chain management.
Technology is not enough – the drawbacks of automated systems.
The challenge of entry-level employment for future generations.
Five skills to retain employment in a world with growing levels of automation.
Future trends in world supply chains and economies.
Six areas humans surpass computers in supply chain operations.
Environmental sustainability and the impact of climate change on supply chains.
Why supply chains actually worked well during the pandemic.
How technology is the key to sustainability.