With AI, you get what you ask for—even if it’s a dumb question. That’s what makes AI both fascinating and challenging. For supply chain professionals and mobility experts, the worlds of digital twins, AI, and IoT are rapidly converging. While supply chains traditionally focus on cost efficiency and service levels, mobility is about broader societal value: livable cities, clean air, safety, and inclusion.
Digital twins in mobility already prove their value in forecasting and managing traffic and infrastructure. The classic approach has been “predict and provide”. It is a helpful approach, but ultimately one that reproduces existing conditions. The real power lies in “vision and validate”: first define where you want to go, then test whether the measures actually get you there. Do we want 50% less city logistics traffic? An 80% CO₂ reduction by 2038? More people cycling? Then AI is not a gadget but a compass.
For supply chains, this means starting with strategy:
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Define your goals: What do you want the supply chain to achieve? Which transitions are needed? Which processes really matter?
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Utilize high-quality data: Without clean data, there can be no reliable digital twins.
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Choose the right partners: The AI tools market is crowded, but pick what truly fits your needs. The time for casual experimenting is over.
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Engage stakeholders: Make AI understandable and transparent. Show what it demands from their actions in the transition.
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Monitor and improve: Continue learning and adjusting to ensure a smooth transition together.
AI is not a miracle cure. It requires vision, governance, and courage. But those who ask thoughtful questions will gain with AI the ability to manage performance, identify bottlenecks, explore future scenarios—and ultimately make a real difference.
Walther Ploos van Amstel