Tariffs, supply chain disruptions and economic volatility continue to confound manufacturers, but help may be coming soon from agentic AI solutions. If these new wave tools can live up to their hype, relief could come as soon as 2026 due to an improved ability to monitor risk, alerting companies as soon as potential problems might occur, and recommending supply chain contingency plans.
Small- and medium-sized manufacturers might very need that kind of technological assist if President Trump follows through on his plan to cut funding for Manufacturing Extension Partnerships. One expert, quoted in this week’s article on the proposed cuts, claims that this move would “break the backbone” of manufacturing.
All this and more in this week’s Supply Chain Insights. And we hope our readers all enjoy a Happy Thanksgiving!
—Dave Blanchard
