Nitin Dsouza, Capgemini Invent at PSC LIVE: Sustainability
Procurement & Supply Chain: Sustainability was focused on exploring the vital intersection of procurement, supply chain and sustainability.
Staged at the QEII Centre in Westminster, London, the event offered a wide variety of insightful keynote speeches, panel discussions and fireside chats, while attendees grasped a golden opportunity to network with like-minded industry professionals representing some of the biggest companies in the world.
On Day 2, Supply Chain Digital sat down with Nitin Dsouza, VP Supply Chain & Engineering at Capgemini Invent, who discussed the emergence of agentic AI and its increasing application in supply chains.
A new age of supply chain tech
Nitin believes we may be entering a new age in supply chain technology.
With a background in industrial and supply chain engineering, Nitin has witnessed the evolution of supply chains from weekly inventory updates to systems processing trillions of data points daily.
His career journey spans from early work with RFID technology to optimising complex global supply chains for cost and sustainability. Currently, his focus lies at the intersection of AI, digital energy systems and physical systems.
"I've been very lucky to work in some of the most complex supply chain areas, global S&OP linking 40-50 ERPs at a factory level down at country level, then moving into global level," says Nitin.
"I've been optimising for various things – cost, sustainability and carbon emissions – which has been an exciting part of my journey."
From digital to agentic supply chains
Nitin describes how supply chains have evolved through distinct eras.
The 1980s to 2000s marked the lean-agile era, exemplified by companies like Toyota and Walmart. This was followed by the digital era, where cloud computing enabled companies like Amazon to flourish.
Now, he suggests, we may be witnessing the emergence of an agentic era powered by AI agents and generative AI.
"Our hypothesis is that at this point in time people are moving away from digital and talking about agents in their supply chain," explains Nitin. "It's very nascent, but are we seeing the early stage of the dawn of the agentic era?"
Balancing hype with practical value
While agentic AI is generating significant buzz, particularly in tech circles, Nitin cautions against pursuing technology without clear business objectives.
He advocates for a value-based approach to implementation.
"Not every shiny thing is gold, as I keep saying," Nitin warns. "With agentic AI, I think it's going to be a couple of years before we start realising the full value.
"There is immediate value to be realised in the areas of documentation, text-based queries and research. With those low-hanging fruits in the supply chain, we are definitely entering the era of agentic AI."
Nitin envisions what he calls "blend AI" in supply chains, where traditional AI optimisation algorithms work alongside newer generative and agentic technologies.
The future of supply chain technologies
Nitin goes on to emphasise the importance of focusing on business objectives, as opposed to becoming obsessed with new technologies.
"If the objective is simply to optimise your supply chain, don't use generative or agentic AI," he adds. "If your objective is to understand regulations at pace and understand the tariff changes happening every day, there is a value-based outcome.
"Every country is changing sustainability regulations and keeping abreast of it is a challenge. We've seen people fall foul of it because containers are being stopped due to threshold levels of plastic they didn't know about. So, with the ability to pass on that information and ensure compliance, there is value."
Beyond AI, Nitin identifies several other transformative technologies reshaping supply chains.
"Some of the trends we see around currently are in the space of engineering, using additive manufacturing to reduce time to market," he notes. "The next part we see is in the area of material sciences with new nano materials being developed that can change the entire design of your product so you can deliver faster."
Essential diary dates for 2025
Discover the essential diary dates for Procurement Magazine and Supply Chain Digital, as well as its sister publications, Manufacturing Digital and Sustainability Magazine.
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- Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE Dubai | 29 April
- Sustainability LIVE Chicago | 28-29 May
- Procurement LIVE Chicago | 28-29 May
- Supply Chain LIVE Chicago | 28-29 May
- Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE London | 23-24 September
- The Global Procurement & Supply Chain Awards | 24 September
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