Episode 143: The role of AI and Supply Chain Orchestration in 2026 and beyond with SAP's Dominik Metzger
The Future of Supply ChainShow Notes
In this week’s episode Richard and SAP’s Dominik Metzger explore how Agentic AI, simulations and data fabrics redefine supply chain orchestration, turning disruption into advantage and reshaping roles, networks and operating models for 2026 and beyond
Download the episode transcript
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This week we, together with SAP’s Dominik Metzger, dive into the role of AI and orchestration in the supply chain of 2026 and beyond. Dominik explains how Agentic AI, persona based assistants and simulations help sense risk, model scenarios and execute responses across functions. The conversation covers data strategy, business data fabrics, end tier visibility, quantum computing and Agentic AI.
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Guest 1: Dominik Metzger, President & Chief Product Officer, Supply Chain Management, SAP Dominik Metzger is President, Chief Product Officer for SAP’s Supply Chain Management organization, overseeing a global Line of Business (LoB). This organization is focused on SAP’s comprehensive portfolio of products across the entire Design-to-Operate process coupled with the SAP Business Network solutions that drive efficient, agile, resilient and sustainable supply chains for customers. His product responsibilities encompass the design, product management, engineering, marketing and go-to-market functions.
Dominik has over 18 years of experience in the Supply Chain field, with a strong background in consulting, product management and go-to-market responsibilities. Prior to taking on his current role, Dominik led the SAP Digital Supply Chain product organisation. He joined SAP in 2020 to lead the company’s Industry 4.0 initiative and quickly took on additional responsibilities as the Head of Product Management for Manufacturing and Industrial IoT.
Before joining SAP, Dominik lived in New York City where he was a Managing Director for the implementation partner Westernacher Consulting. Prior to his time in the US, Dominik worked as a Solution Architect for Digital Supply Chain solutions in Singapore (for 4 years) and Germany. Throughout his career in Consulting, he successfully led and delivered numerous digital transformation projects across various industries including Automotive, Chemicals, Consumer Products, Logistics Service Providers, IM&C and Retail. These projects spanned multiple regions, including Europe and Asia. Host 1: Richard Howells, SAP
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.
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Show Links:
Supply Chain Management: SAP Supply Chain Management SAP Insights: Supply Chain
Follow Us on Social Media Richard Howells: LinkedIn, X SAP Digital Supply Chain: LinkedIn
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Chapters:
00:00:00: Intro 00:01:21: Guests' Introductions 00:01:43: Entering 2026: Top Priorities for Supply Chain Leaders 00:05:06: End‑Tier Visibility, Risk Sensing, and Impact Analysis 00:11:01: Agentic Workflows: Multiple AI Assistants Collaborating 00:17:10: Data Foundations: Ownership, Quality, and Business Context 00:22:43: 2026 and Beyond: Agentic AI, Quantum Computing, and Physical AI 00:26:53: What is the Future of Supply Chain?
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