> One Logistics Survival Skill You Must Develop to Thrive in the AI Age: Adapting to Change>
In a word, Adaptability. But how do we develop this ability to adapt in the AI Era? In addition to the core Logistics knowledge and practice, we must focus on how to work with, around, and even on these seemingly user-friendly AI technologies. Continuous learning, certifications, and questioning are crucial tasks in this endeavor.
Like many others, the logistics industry is being significantly transformed by AI, automation, and sustainability. To stay relevant in this field, we must develop a combination of technical and interpersonal adaptabilities that allow us to understand and leverage AI effectively, for instance:
Creativity, Design & Innovation: AI is often good at optimizing within constraints but still struggles with open-ended problems. Design thinking, brainstorming, and creative thinking will be in high demand.
Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge: AI and machine learning are tools that can be applied in many fields, including Logistics. But mastering a specific domain, like Logistics, and a solid understanding of AI can make one very valuable and marketable.
Information Technology: Understanding Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation, Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, robotics, and their capabilities and limitations will be critical. Besides, it's still essential to be comfortable with software applications and systems used in logistics. Technology is the foundation of working in an advanced society. And it goes beyond just knowing how to use software apps. It also involves understanding how software and algorithms work. This may include basic coding and data analysis abilities, even when AI is already developing code.
Data Analytics and Interpretation: As more devices and systems connect, the data generated grows exponentially. We must know how to interpret this data, draw meaningful conclusions, and make informed decisions will be invaluable. The ability to interpret, analyze, and make data-based decisions is becoming increasingly important. As humans, this includes understanding how to evaluate and question data and its sources critically.
Operations & Supply Chain Management: AI and automation revolutionize supply chain management. If you will, we must understand logistics changes using our humanity or humanness. It is necessary to know how to implement operations, particularly reverse and green logistics, and how AI can improve efficiency and effectiveness balanced with our humanity.
Change Management: Implementing new technologies often requires significant changes to existing processes. Skills in change management, including the tasks to navigate resistance to change, will be needed.
Project Management: Implementing AI and automation technologies often involves complex projects. Strong project management skills will ensure these projects are completed successfully.
Cybersecurity: As logistics systems become more digital, they become more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Understanding cybersecurity risks and how to mitigate them will be increasingly important.
Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking: Despite the advances in AI, these systems could be better and will often require human intervention. The ability to troubleshoot problems, think critically, and find solutions will continue to be valuable. We need people (collaborators and researchers) to know if the AI is correct or hallucinating.
Emotional & Social Intelligence: Despite the rise of AI, human insights and abilities are still crucial. These include communication, leadership, teamwork, negotiation, customer service, and our ability to adapt to the physical world. These skills may become even more critical as routine tasks become more automated. Human-centric skills are becoming more valuable as more routine tasks are automated. This includes skills like communication, empathy, leadership, negotiation, and working well in teams.
AI and Machine Learning Understanding: As AI becomes more integrated into our society, it is important to understand how these systems work, their strengths, and their limitations. This will allow individuals to anticipate better how AI might impact their field and how to use it effectively.
Ethics: AI can lead to job displacement and privacy concerns. I would like you to understand these issues and how to navigate them. As AI continues to shape our society, it's important to consider ethical and societal implications. Understanding biases in AI, data privacy issues, and the impact of AI on jobs and the economy are all critical areas of knowledge.
Lifelong Learning: Finally, given the speed of technological change, continuously learning and adapting is the most critical skill. Learning how to learn efficiently is crucial. Technology is evolving rapidly, and professionals must keep up with these changes. A commitment to continuous learning and adapting will be essential. Adaptability will enable logistics professionals to utilize AI and automation opportunities while mitigating challenges.
These focus areas can be applied to any field of study or career path. The goal isn't necessarily to become an AI specialist (unless that's the career path a student is interested in) but to become comfortable with the technology, understand its implications, and adapt its advantages to one's logistics career.