Rehearsal on a digital twinHow AI reinvents supply chain resilience

For decades, global supply chains achieved exceptional efficiency through just‑in‑time systems and lean production—models built on the implicit assumption that people, goods, and information would flow freely and predictably. As these foundations fracture, supply chains optimized solely for efficiency are revealing a critical fragility: even small disruptions can cause widespread dysfunction.

Today, supply chain leadership has evolved beyond mere operational optimization and cost reduction. It is now fundamentally defined by a critical question: "Can our business not only survive an unprecedented crisis but also emerge stronger and continue its growth trajectory?"

BI tools and demand‑forecasting models based on past data are no longer enough to address today’s challenges. What is required in an age of uncertainty is the ability to proactively rehearse innumerable future disruptions, take strategic actions in advance to maximize value, and secure resilience by design.

This is where digital rehearsal provides a breakthrough. By recreating real‑world supply chains within a high‑fidelity digital twin and applying AI, organizations can rapidly and precisely uncover hidden causal relationships in their data. Even highly complex scenarios—such as “What happens if a major strait is closed for three months?”—can be evaluated quantitatively and objectively across three stages:

1. risk scenario analysis
2. scenario forecasting
3. strategy design

For companies navigating the vast uncertainty of today’s world, insights generated through AI × digital rehearsal become a lighthouse guiding them toward their desired future.

This article explores global supply chain trends, the unique strengths of Fujitsu’s digital rehearsal, and three steps to maximize its value. The future is not something to predict— it is something to design, transform, and choose.

Supply chain vulnerability has become a universal management challenge across industries and regions. This shift in supply chain priorities is set against the backdrop of a significant turning point in globalization—a force that, for decades, reliably fueled global economic growth.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2026*1, uncertainty is the defining theme of the years ahead. Half of surveyed experts expect global economic conditions to be “turbulent” or “storm‑like” over the next two years, with the outlook worsening over the decade. The report also warns that the retreat of multilateralism and the rise of protectionism are straining long‑standing trade and investment relationships, increasing the likelihood of conflict.

The scale of macro‑environmental impact on businesses is growing each year. The Allianz Risk Barometer 2026*2 places “business interruption”—including supply chain disruption—among the top three global threats. The report highlights that supply chains are under “unprecedented pressure,” with only 3% of companies viewing their supply chains as “highly resilient.”