Overview: Designing a Suite of AI Supply Chain Products

Managing multi-layered supply chains is challenging. That’s why enterprises are using AI to gain visibility, predict and respond to risk, and make recommendations to optimize costs and meet service levels. 

At C3 AI, I designed a suite of 3 AI-powered products targeting distinct areas of supply chain optimization. Each of the products was imagined through intensive discovery workshops, designed through iterative processes, and deployed across 10+ enterprise customers.

Involvement

Role: Lead UX Designer

Duration: 2 years

Internal Collaboration: 10+ Engineers (2 Forward Deployment), 4 PMs, 2 Solutions Leaders, 5 Data Scientists

Supply Chains Are Complex

Each step requires a different set of tasks done by different roles. But disruptions can occur anywhere in the process and can affect other steps. Below are the typical steps of a supply-chain stream, with associated pain points and AI-driven solutions. 

3 Applications, 1 Optimized Supply Chain

I designed the following applications in response to the general pain points and solutions identified above. Each aims to target one specific area of the supply chain, but together, the applications provide full optimization.

C3 AI Production Schedule Optimization

AI-driven management of dynamic manufacturing environments

C3 AI Inventory Optimization

AI insights and visibility across inventory

C3 AI Supply Network Risk

AI-driven management of dynamic manufacturing environments 

Research Methodology & Personas

6 User Discovery Workshops

40+ Iterative User Testing Sessions

10+ Organizations

4 Distinct Persona Roles

Inventory Analyst

Monitors inventory, adjusting reorder parameters. Prepares sales forecasts to reflect expected demand per product, customer, and location over time.

Supply Chain Manager

Oversees inventory and supply chain operations across all parts within a division while driving change management.

Production Scheduler

Converts detailed Planning forecasts into an optimal, realistic, and constraint-compliant production schedule that meets an objective function.

Production Manager

Sets and meet realistic production facility objectives for maximum throughput and minimum costs

C3 AI Production Schedule Optimization

C3 AI Production Schedule Optimization uses AI to generate accurate demand forecasts and optimal schedules for complex operations to minimize production costs and maximize OTIF planning and scheduling performance.

Scheduling Pain Points and Feature Solutions

C3 AI PSO Demonstrated Benefits

5 – 10% Increase in on-time-in-full (OTIF) performance

3 – 6% Increase in product availability

99+ % Inventory service levels

C3 AI Inventory Optimization

C3 AI Inventory Optimization provides real-time global visibility across all inventory and uses AI to optimize inventory, improve service levels and maximize OTIF performance.

Inventory Pain Points and Feature Solutions

C3 AI IO Demonstrated Results

20 – 50% Reduction in inventory levels and holding costs

15 – 30% Decrease in shipping costs

10-20% Improvement in service level and OTIF performance

C3 AI Supply Network Risk

C3 AI Supply Network Risk creates a digital twin of the supply chain, identifies vulnerabilities as they emerge, and reduces frequency and impact of supply chain disruptions

Supply Network Pain Points and Feature Solutions

C3 AI SNR Demonstrated Benefits

20 – 50% Reduction in inventory levels and holding costs

15 – 30% Decrease in shipping costs

10-20% Improvement in service level and OTIF performance