The Impact of Inventory Forecasting and Automation in the Work Field

This blog examines the impacts of employment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in the business world. By examining the acceleration rate of this phenomenon, the blog points out the advantages and disadvantages of automation and inventory forecasting. It also points out the proposed solutions to offset job losses that result from it.

The business world tackles several inventory obstacles concerning supply chains. Inventory forecasting aids in reducing the price of these chains and improves financial projects, capacity planning, and risky decisions. In addition to that Machine Learning in the age of (AI) develops forecasting ways by increasing replenishment methods and being accurate.

What is inventory forecasting in machine learning? Inventory forecast is a procedure of approximating the forecast of a buyer by interpreting historical information. Companies refer to inventory forecasting to eliminate inefficiencies due to the incorrect distribution of supply. In addition to that, Machine Learning predicts the number of products to be bought during an upcoming period.

Compared to old techniques Machine Learning has a lot of advantages:

• Speeds up processed data

• Provides accuracy

• Interprets more data

• Updates forecasts according to recent data

• Gives a higher percentage of adaptability

Will Machine forecasting replace humans in the work field?

Most of the planners in companies rely on spreadsheet-based procedures that rarely spot the complex interconnection among the drivers. However, only after installing an AI device can the source of the problem in the supply chain become obvious. Hence, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Forecasting are installing higher percentages of efficiency and greater probabilities to the supply chain.

Inventory Forecasting and automation have done quite well in most businesses:

• Improve business outcome

• Include robots on the warehouse floor

• Provides information more efficiently than planners

• Create new jobs in the process

• Handle repetitive missions and roles

• Canceling the need for some calculations

Research by Forrester points out that Artificial Intelligence will eliminate 12 million careers in the US as we reach the year 2025. Moreover, Brandon White, the director of quality affirmations at Kenco, says that: “Automation won’t necessarily replace everyone in the supply chain, but it’s already changing many roles of what people do’’. For example, AMP Robotics is a company that installs AI-robots responsible for sorting a huge amount of glass, plastic, and paper. In 2019, 35 recycling companies ordered AMP Robotics, says AMP spokesman Chris Wirth and by the last months of the year 2020 approximately 100 will.

Disadvantages of Inventory Forecasting and Automation:

• The pool of taxable income is diminishing because of job losses. So how hard is it for companies to make their robots tax-compliant through the robot task?

• Societal challenges as a result of losing the social cohesion and connectedness that come from cooperating toward shared ends and that the workplace provides which helps to break down stereotypes and biases.

• Legislation and the role of government considering the polarized political terrain and the highly politicized economic agenda.

• Small government versus big government and how this might affect the prosperity of free markets and trades. Markets have the capacity to produce enough prosperity and opportunities on their own for all those who are willing to work hard to seize them. That’s why big governments will impede the development of a healthy and dynamic economy.

• AI is still developing where most algorithms begin to create other algorithms making it hard for AI engineers because they might not have the ability to quickly solve the problem.

• AI is a huge system that stores tons of secret business information. Hence, if the company does not bring excellent quality protection systems there might be some security issues.

• AI needs to be controlled; it is not efficient alone. It should be given inputs to keep its functioning. Advantages of Inventory Forecasting and Automation:

• Robots let humans avoid harmful work and life-threatening jobs like the Bomb-Defusing Robot and SmokeBot.

• Using Artificial Intelligence automates mundane tasks and saves employers’ the cost of training the task force to perform routine tasks.

• Eliminating human error that is when computers are programmed properly, errors are reduced and the chance of reaching accuracy is possible.

• Inventory systems work nonstop compared to humans and since Artificial Intelligence is taking a lot more place than it used to do then work now is automated meaning that fewer people are employed and the payment of salaries has decreased. Hence, the company now invests the rest of the money in developing its processes.

• Speeds the packaging procedure and ability to introduce excellent performing businesses to important clients.

• Chatbots allow companies to save the payment of customer service by accelerating response times.

Solutions to Offset Automation’s impact on work:

Most of the recent studies assume that half of the current careers might be automated in the upcoming years. That’s why we need to adapt to new socioeconomic procedures to meet the new century with rapid growth. How then some practical solutions should be planned?

• Get new opportunities by investing smartly. The rapid spread of automation promises a lot of opportunities for the upcoming years. For example, Germany’s Industrie 4.0 plan aims a 50 percent growth in manufacturing, while paying half of the required equipment. Moreover, Estonia’s growth after the separation of the Soviet Union is a great example of transforming into a digital economical country. Accordingly, Estonia in the past two years was ranked by the World Bank as a high-income country.

• Provide more easy education systems as the rate of change increases. Schools have been following the traditional education system and with all the changes concerning technology and automation, it is essential to address suitable educational systems. To allow workers to transition from one career to another we need to address education in an easier way.

• Encouraging Social Safety is a necessity if job losses come to an increase compared to Automation.

Finally, Inventory Forecasting will aid businesses by decreasing manual labor. In this process profit and accuracy of the model can be improved too. However, the transition towards Artificial Intelligence will largely remove repetitive labor positions demanding solutions and changes that should be taken immediately to cope with the high rate of change.