Chain Reaction Ep. 7: Automating Logistics with Intelligence

Bram Vanschoenwinkel, Chief Product Officer at Customaite, makes a distinction that matters for how organisations approach automation: implementing automation without embedded intelligence is like building faster trains on broken tracks. You move problems quicker and amplify failures at scale. Customaite's approach is different. Embed decision intelligence into workflows from the start. That means understanding what optimisation actually matters for your business, not just what automation can technically accomplish. In logistics, this distinction is critical. Automated sorting can move boxes faster but if the sort criteria are wrong, you're optimising in the wrong direction. Intelligent automation asks what outcome matters and builds automation to serve that outcome. For supply chain leaders considering automation investments, Bram's perspective on where intelligence needs to live is valuable. The conversation covers what changes when you design automation around business goals rather than just process efficiency. It also explores where AI genuinely adds value in logistics - particularly in understanding complex constraint problems where human decision-makers struggle with multiple variables. Understanding the difference between dumb automation and intelligent automation changes how you evaluate technologies and structure automation projects.