Episode186 : How Conversational and Agentic AI are reshaping supply chain with Lukas Huber, Deloitte

What if your supply chain system didn't just answer questions but took action? In this episode, Lukas Huber from Deloitte explains the real difference between conversational and agentic AI, shares concrete use cases from shortage mitigation to transport disruption, and makes the case for governance by design.

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What happens when supply chain systems stop waiting to be asked — and start taking action on their own?

In this episode we sit down with Lukas Huber, a Conversational and Agentic AI expert at Deloitte, to unpack what these technologies actually mean for supply chain professionals beyond the hype.

Lukas explains the difference between conversational AI, which understands intent and communicates insights, and agentic AI, which executes goal-driven, multi-step workflows; through examples from damage reporting to detecting shortages, evaluating alternatives, and drafting supplier emails, he shows how AI can support planners and operations teams.

He also highlights the operational and financial risks of errors or hallucinations, making the case for governance by design from day one.

Looking ahead, Lukas envisions a more intelligent, adaptive, and human-centered supply chain in which AI automates processes but also transforms how decisions are made.

What You Will Learn: • What conversational AI means in an enterprise context and why it's broader than most people think • What are the key difference between a conversational assistant and an agentic AI system • What are concrete supply chain use cases: S&OP, shortage mitigation, transport disruption management, shop floor operations • When voice beats chat and when it doesn't • What are the three types of governance controls every organization deploying agentic AI needs • Why "governance by design" is the difference between a promising demo and a scalable enterprise solution • How Deloitte approaches end-to-end AI transformation in supply chain

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Guest 1: Luka Huber, AI & Data Consultant, Deloitte

Lukas Huber is an AI & Data Consultant at Deloitte, focusing on AI transformation, intelligent automation and the adoption of AI in complex business environments. Beyond his consulting work, he is actively engaged in international AI and leadership communities, including the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community and Young AI Leaders under ITU’s AI for Good initiative. He is also a member of the German Data Science Society and the German Forum for Ethical Machine Decision-Making, contributing to initiatives around AI literacy, responsible AI and the practical adoption of emerging technologies.

Host 1: Richard Howells

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Howells⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

Host 2: Sin To

Sin To brings over 15 years of experience in the digital media and technology industry – primarily in marketing, business development, thought leadership, and editorial. At SAP, they ensure that SAP's supply chain solutions are properly visible with a focus on future trends and sustainable innovations as part of the Thought Leadership & Awareness Supply Chain Team.

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Show Links: SAP Digital Supply Chain: www.sap.com/scm AI for Good: https://aiforgood.itu.int/

Supply Chain Management:   ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Supply Chain Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Insights: Supply Chain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  

Follow Us on Social Media : Lukas Huber LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huberluk/ Richard Howells: LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/richardjhowells⁠ Sin To: LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/sin-to-5334208⁠ SAP Digital Supply Chain: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  

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