In the 2015 movie The Martian, a violent storm strands Matt Damon’s astronaut character alone on Mars.

With no hope of rescue for at least four years, and with limited food and water and no way to communicate with anyone, astronaut Mark Watney looks around his Martian base and declares in his video log: “So, in the face of overwhelming odds, I’m left with only one option: I’m going to have to science the sh*t out of this.”

And he does. Through a combination of ultra-high tech, low tech, and common-sense ideas, (spoiler alert) he engineers solutions to countless obstacles and survives to return to earth.

I love that scene. And I love the spirit behind the idea of sciencing the sh*t out of complex problems here on earth.

 

Fixing Supply Chains is a Technology Issue

At Noodle.ai, we’re applying that spirit to fixing global supply chains, which everyone knows are in crisis. In fact, today’s supply chain systems are failing everyone who depends on them. The chaos shows up as store shelves empty of expected products, warehouses overflowing with unsold inventory, and companies all along the supply chain collectively seeing millions and millions of dollars disappearing from their coffers.

The chaos also shows up as planners who are constantly surprised—and by now even expect to be surprised—but don’t know why or how to fix things.

The problem is that supply chain planning systems were engineered for “normal” conditions, which no longer exist. And thanks to climate change, pandemics, geopolitical instability, shifting demographics, seismic technology shifts, and a whole host of other modern realities, no “new normal” is on the horizon. We’re now living in a “post-normal” world.

Fortunately, the root cause of the supply chain crisis is a technology issue—one that Noodle.ai has the know-how and the technology to solve.

Yes, we decided to “science the sh*t” out of the global supply chain crisis. After years of intensive research and development coupled with a huge dose of human creativity, we have developed Inventory Flow. This software platform injects a much-needed system of intelligence into existing supply chain systems, enabling them to operate far more predictably and efficiently—and to stop leaking profits along the way.

 

Enter ServiceNow and Honeywell

In a Series C funding round, the venture arms of ServiceNow and Honeywell have invested $25 million in Noodle.ai. Clearly, they see Noodle.ai as a good investment. Beyond the pure profit motives, though, both these companies also are committed to making a real dent in the supply chain crisis. And they believe that Noodle.ai can help.

One challenge in supply chain planning is that when each link in the chain operates in a separate silo, the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. ServiceNow software helps alleviate this challenge by enabling companies to better manage their digital workflows and reduce silos. Noodle.ai and our Inventory Flow system of intelligence can then address a second fundamental challenge, which is that supply chain systems are not inherently intelligent enough to operate efficiently in our current post-normal conditions.

As for Honeywell, its products are an essential part of the daily operations in warehouses and other areas of the supply chain. Honeywell has a vested interest in the creation of better planning systems that allow more predictable, and less costly, manufacturing and delivery of products and services along the supply chain.

We might not be stranded on Mars, but sciencing our way out of the supply chain crisis has required Noodle.ai to use pioneering data science technology including deep probabilistic predictions, graphical neural networks, and reinforcement learning. High-level AI and math, basically. And the brainpower of a lot of really smart people.

Could your business benefit from better supply chain planning? Would you like to know exactly how much money is leaking from your existing processes—and how to recapture that lost money? Or do you want to learn more about Noodle.ai and our mission to create a world without waste?

Please check out Inventory Flow, or request a demo to see for yourself how we’re sciencing the sh*t out of the supply chain crisis.

Read the Press Release.