During her session at IntraLogisteX in Dallas, Ashwini Kulkarni, Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport – North America, will outline a four-phase approach to end-to-end supply chain digitization.
With more than 18 years of experience in supply chain transformation, Kulkarni has led projects for global retailers spanning warehouse management systems (WMS), robotics, automation and digital logistics. Her work focuses on using technology and operational change to improve fulfilment, labour productivity and cost performance.
FREE: Register for IntraLogisteX on 16-17 September 2026
Taking place at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas on 16-17 September, IntraLogisteX will bring together logistics and supply chain professionals to explore the latest innovations in warehousing, automation, robotics, materials handling and supply chain technology.
Ahead of the event, Logistics Manager caught up with Kulkarni to discuss why supply chain digitization projects can struggle to deliver their expected value, the growing gap between AI ambitions and organisational readiness, and the technologies set to reshape warehouse operations over the next five years.
What will you be discussing at IntraLogisteX?
I plan to discuss “A retailer’s blueprint for end-to-end supply chain digitization”.
The session presents a four-phase, discovery-led approach – enterprise discovery, process rationalisation, integration enablement and value realisation – that shows how integrated Planning, MDM, OMS, and WMS transformation can reduce fragmentation, customisation risk, and costs while sustaining value beyond go-live.
Why is this topic particularly important right now?
Supply chain modernization is no longer an IT upgrade-it is a strategic reinvention of how an enterprise operates, competes and delivers value. Despite significant investment, many retailers still face fragmented operations, inventory imbalances, poor data quality and uncertain returns. As retailers layer AI and automation onto disconnected data and unclear decision rights, they risk scaling inefficiencies rather than value. Discovery-led governance is the foundation for turning technology investment into sustainable business outcomes.
What is the biggest challenge you see logistics and supply chain professionals facing over the next 12 months?
The biggest challenge is the widening gap between AI ambition and organizational readiness. Many retailers are deploying intelligent forecasting, slotting and orchestration on top of unreconciled master data and poorly defined decision rights. The technology is ready, but the operating model is not. Over the next 12 months, organizations that strengthen data governance, exception management and accountability will achieve compounding returns. Those that do not risk automating existing inefficiencies at unprecedented speed. The real risk is not that AI fails, but that it performs exactly as designed using flawed data and processes.
What technologies do you believe will have the biggest impact on warehouse operations over the next five years?
After 18 years in supply chain transformation, I’ve learned that no single technology changes everything – it’s the combination that matters. AI is becoming increasingly effective in forecasting, inventory optimisation and labour planning, while robotics and AMRs can deliver significant gains when processes are redesigned first. Cloud WMS and IoT provide trusted, real-time visibility, while digital twins enable organisations to test scenarios before making major investments. Yet technology alone does not determine success. The strongest transformations engage frontline employees, align stakeholders, and ensure people are prepared to adopt and sustain the changes.
What role do AI, data and supplier intelligence play in helping organizations anticipate supply chain risks?
Honestly, less than people hope for-but more than most organisations are getting today.
AI can deliver more value than many organisations achieve today, but only when supported by strong data and clear accountability. It excels at detecting patterns, such as deteriorating supplier lead times or declining transportation performance, before they become visible in traditional reviews. However, AI cannot identify what organisations fail to capture, particularly across complex second-tier dependencies. The greater challenge is turning insights into action. Alerts without ownership create noise, not value. For AI to deliver measurable impact, organisations need reliable data, clearly defined decision rights, accountable owners, and established response processes.
What are you most looking forward to at IntraLogisteX?
I’m most interested in learning from others facing the same challenges. Most organisations are not starting with a clean slate-they are navigating monolithic platforms, interconnected applications and critical expertise embedded in people rather than systems. I want to hear how others are decoupling these environments without disrupting operations. Equally important is change management. AI and automation fundamentally reshape daily work, so successful organisations must treat workforce adoption as a core design challenge-not an afterthought or communications exercise.
Register free for IntraLogisteX
IntraLogisteX takes place in Hall B of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas, USA on September 16-17, 2026. Attendance is free and gives visitors access to the exhibition, live demonstrations and both conference theatres. The event is for supply chain and manufacturing professionals looking for solutions that can make logistics and operational processes more accurate, efficient, agile and scalable.
If there is a warehouse, logistics or supply chain challenge you need to solve, register free and bring it to IntraLogisteX in Dallas, Texas, USA, this September.
