Managing Supply Chain Risks with AI

In this episode of Made to Grow, Rich Dale is joined by Nishant Raj, founder of Value Chain, for a practical and wide-ranging conversation about what AI — and specifically agentic AI — actually means for SME manufacturers and their supply chains. Supply chains have never been under more pressure. From pandemic disruption to global conflict to skills shortages, the old ways of managing supplier relationships and staying on top of demand are breaking down. Nishant explains why the answer isn't hiring more people — it's building smarter systems that carry the knowledge and do the repetitive work, so your team can focus on the decisions that actually need a human. About Our Guest Nishant Raj is the founder of Value Chain, a supply chain solutions business serving manufacturers in aerospace and automotive. With a decade of experience driving digitisation across manufacturing businesses, Nishant has spent the last three years focused on how to make supply chains more resilient, more connected, and better equipped to handle the pace of disruption that modern manufacturers face. Key Topics in This Episode Why supply chain expertise can no longer be hired in the traditional way — and what that means for manufacturers trying to scale How global disruption, from the pandemic to blocked canals to chip shortages, has exposed the fragility of cost-optimised supply chains What agentic AI actually is — and why the best way to understand it is to think of it as a junior member of your team How AI agents can handle unstructured data from supplier emails and update your systems automatically — without changing how your suppliers work The difference between an AI model and an agentic AI system, and why that distinction matters for manufacturers Why cybersecurity concerns around AI are legitimate but manageable — and how the conversation mirrors early manufacturer resistance to cloud software, with practical guidance on data access, open source models and on-premise hosting options Why small teams will increasingly be able to deliver the output of much larger ones The window of competitive advantage that exists right now — and why it won't stay open indefinitely Nishant's practical advice for manufacturers who want to start: find the one problem AI could solve that would have the biggest impact, and start there What's Next? If you're a manufacturer trying to get your head around what AI means in practice — not in theory — this episode gives you a clear and jargon-free starting point. The technology is already here. The question is whether you treat it as an opportunity now, or a catch-up job later. For more conversations like this one, subscribe to Made to Grow on your podcast platform of choice and share this episode with anyone in your network who's thinking seriously about supply chain resilience and digital transformation. Listen, Watch and Subscribe If you're enjoying Made to Grow, make sure to listen, watch and subscribe for more practical conversations on manufacturing growth, operational improvement and the real lessons from manufacturers who've done it.