Part 2: What You Should Really Be Investing in to Build Supply Chain Resilience

In Part 1 of this series, I unpacked the common misconception that stockpiling equals resilience. It doesn't. Inventory may buy time, but it doesn't create adaptability, and in today's world, where the next disruption is always around the corner, adaptability is everything.

If building up safety stock isn't the answer, what is?

In this post, I'll walk through where companies should invest to build meaningful, durable supply chain resilience and why those investments are more strategic, scalable, and sustainable than just adding a buffer.

Resilience is a Capability, not a Cushion

True resilience comes from how well you can sense, respond, and recover from change. That requires modern systems, forward-looking data, and processes designed for variability, not just optimization.

Companies that invest in these capabilities don't just bounce back from disruptions; they gain competitive ground while others stall.

What to Invest in Instead of Stock

1. AI-Powered Scenario Planning

You can't plan for just one outcome anymore. Today's best planning systems use agentic AI to simulate thousands of "what if" scenarios in seconds. What if demand shifts by 30% in one region? What if a critical supplier's lead time doubles? What if a port closes for 10 days?

Rather than react, you can prepare. The system identifies the most likely scenario and the most resilient option. Leveraging agentic AI allows you to do this continuously, not just once a month.

Platforms like ketteQ, which I advise, are enabling this kind of forward-looking resilience, helping companies shift from static to adaptive planning models

2. Real-Time Sensing and Demand Intelligence

Having accurate, up-to-the-minute demand signals changes everything. That's where AI and demand sensing come in.

Rick McDonald, fellow Executive Advisory Board member at ketteQ and former CSCO at The Clorox Company, recently shared an example of how powerful this can be:

"In the forecast that we applied [AI-driven demand sensing] to, we improved our forecast accuracy by about 15% over what the best humans could do. I believe that will be an unlock and a real game changer."

That level of accuracy doesn't just reduce error. It enables better decisions, faster responses, and less reliance on guesswork and gut feel.

3. Cloud-Native Platforms Built for Speed and Collaboration

Legacy systems were built for stability. Today's world demands flexibility.

Cloud-native planning platforms—especially those that integrate directly with CRM, ERP, and supply chain execution systems—allow real-time collaboration across global teams. Everyone from sales to finance to supply chain sees the same data, simultaneously, with the same priorities.

This is a capability I've seen firsthand through my work with ketteQ, which is deeply integrated with Salesforce. The ability to align operational and commercial planning in one connected environment has been a key differentiator for many organizations adopting modern planning.

4. Probabilistic Forecasting and Planning

Forget deterministic "single-path" planning. In an unpredictable world, it's not enough to ask, "What's the most likely outcome?"

You must ask: "What range of outcomes is possible—and how prepared are we for each?"

Probabilistic modeling helps organizations understand risk, trade-offs, and sensitivity across multiple dimensions. It also helps leadership make confident decisions even in the face of uncertainty.

What You Don't Need: Redundancy for Redundancy's Sake

One more thing: resilience doesn't mean overbuilding. You don't need two of everything—suppliers, factories, shipping lanes. That's just expensive redundancy.

Instead, invest in optionality:

• Can you shift sourcing quickly?

• Can you reroute shipments automatically?

• Can you flex production capacity or lead times on demand?

Optionality means flexibility, not duplication. It's smarter, leaner, and far more sustainable.

Your Takeaway: Invest in What Matters Most

Resilience isn't something you can stock. It's something you build.

And the companies that come out ahead won't be the ones that bought the most buffer—they'll be the ones that made the smartest moves when it mattered most.

Invest. Build the capability. And be ready; not just to recover, but to lead.