
No Data Yet

## Executive Summary A clear trend is emerging across major industries: corporations are shifting from theoretical discussions about Artificial Intelligence to practical, large-scale implementation. Companies like **Coty Inc.** in consumer goods and **Included Health** in the healthcare sector are deploying sophisticated AI platforms to drive measurable financial and operational outcomes. This move signifies a maturation of the AI market, where tangible return on investment, such as cost reduction and margin expansion, is beginning to supersede narrative-driven valuation. ## The Event in Detail Leading the charge is **Coty Inc. (NYSE: COTY)**, which has integrated AI deep into its global supply chain as part of its “All-in to Win” transformation program. The beauty giant, with nearly $6 billion in annual revenue, is using AI for demand planning across its 10,953 SKUs. Graeme Carter, Coty’s Chief Global Supply Chain Officer, noted the necessity of a tool that can handle volatility spurred by social media trends. The company uses a solution from **o9 Solutions** for AI-based demand planning and a tool named **Yoshu** for AI-guided factory maintenance. The financial impact is significant. Between fiscal years 2021 and 2024, Coty generated over $700 million in savings, expanded gross margins by over 400 basis points, and reduced inventory by 10%. Carter emphasized that new digital initiatives must have a payback period of less than two years, underscoring the focus on tangible returns. In the healthcare sector, **Included Health** has launched "Dot," an intelligent AI assistant that moves beyond generic medical chatbots. Dot is refined on over ten billion AI tokens and integrates member claims, benefits, utilization cost patterns, and clinical data. This allows for personalized healthcare navigation. To ensure safety and accuracy, the system employs a "clinician-in-the-loop" architecture, where human medical experts oversee the AI's guidance and intervene for complex cases. ## Market Implications The pivot from AI hype to execution is creating a new basis for corporate valuation. Investors are beginning to scrutinize not whether a company is *using* AI, but *how* it is impacting the bottom line. For companies like Coty, the ability to demonstrate a 130-basis-point expansion in EBITDA margin through AI-driven efficiencies provides a concrete performance metric. This trend suggests a flight to quality, where companies with the data infrastructure and operational capacity to deploy AI effectively will gain a significant competitive advantage. This shift also redefines the vendor landscape. Specialized, enterprise-ready AI platforms like **o9 Solutions**, **Yoshu**, and **Sprinklr's (NYSE: CXM)** Unified-CXM platform are gaining traction over generic, all-purpose models. The demand is for tools that can solve specific, high-value business problems—from optimizing a manufacturing line to personalizing a patient's healthcare journey. ## Expert Commentary Expert commentary from corporate leaders highlights a pragmatic, results-oriented approach. “I’m looking for less than two [years for payback],” stated **Graeme Carter of Coty**, reflecting a disciplined investment strategy. Carter also acknowledged the challenges, noting that his team finds the AI component of their planning tool to be a "black box," a risk he mitigates by limiting its use to about 15% of forecasts for now. He envisions a future "Supply Biome" where AI acts as an "invisible hand" optimizing the network. In healthcare, the focus is on combining AI with human oversight. “It’s one thing to use AI to drive efficiency in broken systems — it’s another to use it to reimagine how people can get the very best from healthcare,” said **Dr. Ami Parekh, Chief Health Officer at Included Health**. The company’s “AI+EQ” (Artificial Intelligence plus Emotional Intelligence) strategy aims to build trust by ensuring that technology serves, rather than replaces, the human clinical relationship. ## Broader Context These deployments represent the next phase of enterprise digital transformation. The success of these initiatives hinges on foundational elements that have been years in the making: clean master data, simplified business processes, and a clear strategic vision. Carter noted that Coty underwent "18 months of focus" to fix its data before advanced AI tools could be effective. This reality serves as a caution that AI is not a plug-and-play solution but the capstone of a broader organizational and data strategy. As more firms successfully integrate AI into their core operations, the pressure will mount on competitors to move beyond experimentation and deliver measurable, AI-driven results.

## Executive Summary The launch of BizClik's December portfolio, featuring **Supply Chain Digital**, **Procurement Magazine**, and **Manufacturing Digital**, arrives as the global supply chain industry confronts a complex landscape. The sector is characterized by a dual narrative: a strategic push towards digitalization and AI-driven efficiency, set against a backdrop of persistent macroeconomic pressures, shifting trade policies, and a pragmatic focus on near-term operational costs. ## The Event in Detail BizClik has released the December editions of its procurement and supply chain publications. These magazines serve as a key resource for industry professionals, providing analysis and insights into the critical challenges and opportunities shaping the sector. The content focuses on navigating technological disruption, managing volatile freight markets, and adapting to a new era of global trade. ## Market Implications ### The Digital Transformation Mandate The strategic imperative to modernize is exemplified by **Coty Inc. (NYSE: COTY)**. As part of its "All-in to Win" program, the beauty giant embarked on a significant supply chain transformation. By centralizing global planning in Barcelona and implementing AI-native tools, Coty achieved a 10% reduction in inventory and an 82% decrease in Scope 1 & 2 emissions. The company utilizes the **o9 Solutions** platform for AI-based demand planning and a tool from **Yoshu** for predictive maintenance on its manufacturing lines. > "My 'intelligent enterprise'... is going to eventually be making decisions on behalf of the team. That's the demand signal, therefore, that's the supply signal, and it will do that automatically," stated Graeme Carter, Chief Global Supply Chain Officer at Coty, outlining his vision for an autonomous "Supply Biome." ### Economic Realities and Shifting Priorities Despite the clear benefits of digitalization, immediate economic challenges are forcing many firms to adopt a more conservative stance. A **Tech.co** survey of over 1,500 logistics professionals found that sustainability is a low priority (cited by only 7-11% of respondents) compared to more pressing issues like vehicle upkeep (19-23%) and financial pressures (16-21%). This sentiment is reinforced by freight market data. The latest **TD Cowen/AFS Freight Index** shows that while parcel rates are projected to climb 4.8% year-over-year, the truckload sector remains sluggish. According to Andy Dyer, CEO of **AFS Logistics**, carriers are leaning on "hard-won lessons of the past to prioritize profitability" in a soft market. This focus on immediate financial health aligns with findings from the **West Monroe Quarterly Supply Chain Poll**, where 25% of industry leaders named "improving inventory management" as their top priority. ## Broader Context ### Global Trade Adapts to New Realities Contrary to narratives of "deglobalization," global trade continues to show remarkable resilience. The **DHL Global Connectedness Tracker**, which draws on over 20 million data points, projects that global trade volumes will grow at an annualized rate of 2.5% through 2029. Notably, the average trade distance has hit a record 3,200 miles, indicating that supply chains are rerouting and expanding, not contracting. A primary driver of this realignment is shifting trade policy. The share of U.S. imports from China fell from 22% in 2017 to just 9% in the first seven months of 2025. This has spurred investment in alternative manufacturing and sourcing hubs. For instance, a new **Framework for a Reciprocal Trade Agreement** between the U.S. and Thailand, building on the 1966 Treaty of Amity, is creating favorable conditions for American companies to expand operations in sectors like logistics, technology, and manufacturing within Thailand. ### Expert Commentary The industry is at a crossroads where technological adoption is no longer optional but essential for survival. As Coty's Graeme Carter bluntly told his team, "If you're not investing in your own growth in the digital space, you're going to be redundant." This sentiment reflects a broader market understanding that efficiency, agility, and data-driven decision-making are the core pillars of a modern supply chain. While immediate economic pressures may temper the pace of investment, the long-term trajectory is firmly pointed towards a more integrated, automated, and intelligent global logistics network.

## The Event in Detail **Channel99** has officially launched **Dynamic Audiences**, a new feature designed to streamline B2B marketing. The platform leverages AI to generate audience recommendations, enabling marketers to create and activate targeted campaigns with a single click. The service integrates directly with major advertising and lead-generation channels, including **LinkedIn**, **Google**, **Microsoft**, and **Facebook**, aiming to improve the return on investment for digital marketing expenditures. ## Market Implications The introduction of **Dynamic Audiences** positions **Channel99** within the rapidly evolving B2B marketing technology sector, which is increasingly reliant on artificial intelligence. The launch comes as major advertising platforms are developing their own sophisticated AI tools. For instance, **LinkedIn** recently announced new ad formats, including "Reserved Ads" and AI-powered tools for ad copy generation and personalization, signaling a competitive push to lock marketers into their native ecosystems. **Channel99**'s strategy is to provide an overlay of intelligence that works across multiple platforms, a model that relies on offering superior, vendor-agnostic performance analytics. ## Expert Commentary This development reflects a larger trend identified in **PitchBook**'s "Artificial Intelligence Outlook" report, which frames AI as the "defining infrastructure layer for the next half-century." According to the report, legacy business intelligence and analytics platforms are facing displacement from systems that provide real-time, AI-driven insights. The financial stakes are substantial, with **PitchBook** forecasting the AI-focused infrastructure SaaS market to grow from $69.2 billion in 2025 to $155.6 billion by 2030. The business strategy is comparable to that of established platforms like **Sprinklr** (NYSE: CXM), which evolved from a niche social media tool into a unified, AI-native customer experience management (Unified-CXM) platform. By creating a "plug-and-play" solution that integrates with dominant ad networks, **Channel99** is positioning itself as an indispensable intelligence layer. Success hinges on demonstrating clear ROI and seamless integration into enterprise workflows, a challenge as the major networks enhance their own AI capabilities. ## Broader Context **Channel99**'s launch is a microcosm of what **PitchBook** calls the "Great Competition Wars" in AI. As AI becomes foundational to enterprise operations, specialized providers must compete with the massive resources of Big Tech platforms that are building similar features natively. The report notes that AI-powered customer service and support is another high-growth vertical, projected to expand from $27.9 billion in 2025 to $56.2 billion by 2030. For companies like **Channel99**, long-term viability will depend on their ability to deliver unique data insights and a user experience that is demonstrably more effective than the built-in tools of the walled-garden ecosystems they seek to augment.