NEC to launch autonomous SCM AI agent in September

NEC has announced the launch of the ‘NEC SCM AI Agent’, a new service designed to autonomously execute various supply chain management (SCM) tasks. Scheduled for release in September, the agent aims to automate complex processes such as demand forecasting, procurement negotiations, and production planning optimization.

Unlike standard generative AI that relies solely on large language models, this service integrates machine learning and NEC’s proprietary AI to handle numerical forecasting and optimization tasks that LLMs often struggle with. The agent can operate across multiple disparate systems and datasets, reducing the need for manual data coordination and human intervention in adjusting to environmental changes.

Provided through the company’s ‘AI Platform Service’ to ensure security and governance, the tool is designed to be extensible, allowing companies to add or expand agents based on their specific business data and processes. NEC plans to sell the service to 100 companies over the next five years, with annual pricing starting at 18 million yen (excluding tax), depending on data volume and functionality.