💬 DTC food supply chains, pandemic donations, a new AI report, and more in this issue

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2021 has kicked off with volatility

here in the US. It's a reminder that when the world is in turmoil from weather, politics, a pandemic, or other Black Swan events, your data science implementations and software systems can help keep your business on an even keel and get you through the storm.

The Austin Data Labs team

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Forward

"With four parameters I can fit an elephant, and with five I can make him wiggle his trunk."

-Von Neumann

In the news:

Diversifying the supplier base and actively managing inventory stock are key in the post-pandemic world. But it comes with a rise in operations complexity. Manufacturers need more intelligence in their systems to pull that off.

Read Global Supply Chain in a Post-Pandemic World in Harvard Business Review

One meat company in Wisconsin is setting the bar high by donating their UV sanitation equipment to local healthcare facilities for mask and PPE sterilization. This is the second time they've donated to help keep masks and PPE clean and safe for healthcare workers in the area.

Read more about Carnivore Meat Company's UV donation here

NewVantage Partners released their latest Big Data and Executive Summary Report for 2021 - read it here

Does your dairy operation need advanced AI? Does your meat processing plant need deep learning? It's important to understand the limits of these technologies as well as the benefits before deciding. Many argue that deep learning, in particular, has quite a long way to go before it's truly useful for industries like the commodity ag space.

Here's one take on some challenges with deep learning

Have you added direct-to-consumer capability to your food supply chain strategy yet? It's going to be essential for future volatility.

Read more in Supply Chain Brain

Stories you might have missed from Austin Data Labs

Going into 2021 we'll leave you with Sushil Verma's quick checklist for your AI readiness, found within our latest white paper.

Have a great year!

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