Online Discussion

AI in Planning: How Do You Know What to Invest in First, and When?

Given where your data, processes and organisation actually are right now, which AI investments in planning make sense at this stage — and which ones are you not yet positioned to get value from?

Jun 17, 2026 16:00
17:00
BST
·
Online (MS Teams)
For senior supply chain leaders only
How this meeting works
  • Practitioner-led working session
  • No pitches
  • Small-group, facilitated discussion
  • Works best when you can engage actively
  • Chatham House Rule
  • Limited places to preserve quality

Suggested Discussion Points

  • How practitioners are thinking about AI sequencing in planning: what to start with, what to build toward, and what to avoid until foundations are stronger
  • Where AI investments have stalled because data, process or organisational conditions were not in place, and what the warning signs were
  • The difference between an AI investment that creates optionality for the next step and one that creates a dependency or dead end
  • How to have an honest internal conversation about where you are on the curve without it becoming a conversation about organisational failure
  • What good sequencing looks like across different starting points: ERP-heavy, data-light, process-fragmented

Discussion Host(s)

To be confirmed.

Discussion Co-Host(s)

To be confirmed.

Moderator(s)

To be confirmed.

Why this session exists

AI investment in planning is rarely a single decision. It is a sequence of bets, each of which depends on what came before. The organisations getting value from AI in planning are not necessarily the most technically advanced. They are the ones who have matched their AI ambitions to their actual data foundations, process maturity and organisational capacity at each stage.

The ones who struggle have typically tried to skip stages: investing in prediction before the data that feeds it is reliable, or in automation before the decisions being automated are well understood. This session examines how to think about that curve in practice — what is worth doing now, what to defer, and how to build the sequence so each investment creates the conditions for the next one.

What you'll leave with

  • A clearer sense of where your organisation sits on the AI capability curve in planning, and what that implies for sequencing
  • Peer perspective on which AI investments have delivered early value and what conditions made that possible
  • A practical way to evaluate AI options against your current foundations rather than against an idealised future state
  • A sharper view of which investments to defer, and why deferral is a decision rather than a failure

Who this meeting is for

This meeting is designed for people working through real operational and innovation decisions, rather than those seeking presentations or general inspiration.

Who for

  • Supply chain leaders who are being asked to commit to AI investment in planning and want to make sure they are sequencing it against their actual current position rather than an optimistic future state
  • Leaders who have started AI pilots and are uncertain whether the conditions for the next step are in place
  • Transformation leaders who need to build internal alignment on what AI investment makes sense now versus later

Who not for

  • Teams primarily looking for technology demonstrations or vendor comparisons
  • Anyone seeking a passive, webinar-style session rather than a peer discussion

How the online session works

Each session is designed as an online equivalent of a small, in-room roundtable discussion — not a passive, webinar-style presentation.

The format adapts to the topic and the experience in the room:

  • Where participants already have strong knowledge, we typically start by inviting individuals to expand on specific points they have shared in advance. This helps surface real-world context quickly and anchors the discussion in practical experience.
  • Where the topic is less familiar or more specialised, we may begin with a short explainer to establish a shared baseline before opening up the discussion.

To support productive dialogue, we often invite a subject-matter expert to join the session. This may be someone from a vendor, consultancy, or independent background — sometimes from within the community, sometimes external.

Their role is not to pitch or present a solution. Instead, they listen carefully to the discussion and reflect back:

  • how similar challenges have been approached in comparable organisations
  • what has worked (and what hasn’t) in practice
  • concrete examples that help translate discussion into action

This balance is deliberate. Without it, sessions can drift into abstract debate or problem-sharing. With it, discussions stay grounded and participants leave with tangible ideas they can apply in their own context.

The emphasis throughout is on shared learning, practical insight, and forward progress, rather than polished presentations or predetermined answers.

What happens next

Participation is confirmed through a short, staged process designed to ensure a good fit and a productive discussion for everyone in the room.

Step 1: Register interest

You start by entering your details. This helps us understand your background and what you are hoping to get from the session.

Step 2: We sense-check fit and composition

We may follow up to clarify a few details. This is about making sure the discussion works for everyone in the room.

Step 3: You receive a personal invitation

Once confirmed, you will receive a personal invitation with the session agenda, who else will be joining, and clear joining instructions.