Artificial intelligence is moving from pilot programs to core operations across global supply chains, with new research showing a majority of companies are now actively scaling both talent and data platforms to support adoption. Epicor and Nucleus Research’s 2025 Agility Index finds that businesses are not just deploying AI but reshaping how they invest in people, systems, and scenario planning.
AI Talent Pipelines Emerge as Hiring Priorities
More than 56% of surveyed companies report high AI readiness, a shift that goes beyond software deployment into organizational design. Among those advancing AI, over 90% are creating or funding AI-specific roles, with logistics optimization specialists, supply chain data scientists, and automation engineers topping hiring lists. Companies running geopolitical what-if models were especially likely to expand AI headcount, underscoring how disruption scenarios are accelerating the demand for specialized skills.
The organizations most aggressive in embedding AI are also investing in structured pipelines of talent. Industry observers note a parallel to earlier ERP adoption cycles, where firms that integrated talent strategy early captured disproportionate performance gains.
Data Platforms Become the New Core Infrastructure
The research also highlights that digital maturity increasingly depends on connected data systems. Just over half of respondents said they have adopted platforms that unify and analyze operational data, making these tools the most common form of intelligence infrastructure. Companies with such platforms were 1.4 times more likely to have AI applications already in use, pointing to a clear link between data integration and AI scalability.
Regional insights add urgency to these investments. In Southeast Asia, 61% of respondents cited trade restrictions as their top external risk, with nearly three-quarters actively reworking sourcing strategies. These findings align with wider trade reports showing that firms in tariff-sensitive regions are accelerating digital adoption to model sourcing alternatives and mitigate volatility.
Where the Next Shift Will Come From
The report suggests that most companies now expect returns on AI and data investments within 6–18 months, a markedly shorter horizon than past technology rollouts. Yet the real competitive gap may open less around who deploys AI first, and more around who builds the connective tissue between talent, data, and scenario planning. As seen in early movers like consumer goods manufacturers piloting AI twins for demand forecasting, the organizations that align human expertise with real-time intelligence will be positioned to shape, not just survive, the next disruption cycle.
