The MITx MicroMasters Program in Supply Chain Management hosted a virtual live event, Ready for AI? The Supply Chain and Analytics Skills That Still Matter, on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
Hosted by Dr. Inma Borrella, Academic Lead and Paulo Sousa Jr., Course Lead, the event featured guest speaker Arturo Torres, CEO of Ventagium Data Consulting and an early credential holder of the MITx MicroMasters Program in SCM. The discussion centered on how organizations are moving beyond basic AI chatbots toward agentic AI systems that connect directly to business data and can take real-world action allowing for significant AI-driven cost reductions in supply chain management, as noted in the latest State of AI report from McKinsey.
Drawing from his experience in supply chain, analytics, and consulting, MicroMasters in SCM credential holder Arturo Torres (Ventagium Data Consulting) shares his perspective on why understanding the business context, analytical foundations, and core supply chain concepts remains essential in the AI era.
During the session, Torres provided a live demonstration of these capabilities, showcasing how AI agents can run massive "what-if" simulations in minutes rather than hours. In one scenario, the AI instantly recalculated gross margins across an entire product portfolio in response to hypothetical global tariff changes. In a second demonstration, the agent analyzed stock levels and lead times to recommend inventory replenishments and successfully generated a purchase order. However, Torres revealed a critical insight from his consulting work: building the actual AI agent only accounts for 10-15% of a project. The vast majority of the effort still relies on traditional data modeling, statistics, and foundational supply chain logic.
The event emphasized that as AI takes on more analytical heavy lifting, human expertise becomes more critical, not less. Without a deep understanding of supply chain fundamentals, professionals cannot properly evaluate an AI agent's recommendations or apply the broader business context, such as upcoming marketing promotions, that an algorithm might lack. Torres also encouraged attendees to use AI to “go deeper” in their learning, to explore ideas more fully, strengthen their understanding, and critically evaluate AI outputs rather than simply accepting the answers it provides.
Key Takeaways
- Agentic AI is Here: The industry is actively shifting from generative chatbots to Agentic AI. These large language models are grounded in specific company data and can autonomously execute workflows such as running tariff simulations and placing inventory purchase orders.
- The Building Blocks of AI Development: Torres shared an observation from Ventagium’s work: building the AI agent itself may represent only 10–15% of the effort. Much of the work still lies in data modeling, statistics, understanding supply chain and business processes, and structuring the right context for the agent.
- Human Context is Key: AI agents may not have all of the business context needed to make a good decision. A "human-in-the-loop" with strong analytical thinking and business acumen is required to interpret AI recommendations, catch missing variables, and make final strategic decisions.
- AI as an Upskilling Tool: Instead of letting AI do the thinking for them, advanced professionals are using AI to push their own boundaries. Deliberately using AI to learn new coding languages or dive deeper into complex supply chain frameworks unlocks a new level of professional excellence.
