Supply chains involve many moving parts, such as orders, shipments, warehouses, suppliers, and customers. Small disruptions, like missing inventory data or a shipment delay, can create bigger issues. Many of these problems come from one thing: messy or disconnected data.
That's where Amazon Glue and Agentic AI can work together. Glue helps organize and prepare supply chain data, while Agentic AI uses that data to make decisions and take actions. Combined, they make it possible to handle routine challenges automatically, while keeping people focused on higher-level planning.
What is Amazon Glue?
Amazon Glue is a tool that collects data from different sources, cleans it up, and makes it usable. Supply chain data usually comes from many systems, including order management, inventory tracking, spreadsheets, and warehouse sensors. Each system records information differently.
Glue pulls all of that together and builds a single, clean view. It can also refresh the data automatically, so information is always current. For supply chains, this means fewer errors, faster reporting, and a more reliable foundation for decision-making.
What Agentic AI Brings
Agentic AI is artificial intelligence designed to act on information, not just analyze it. Instead of simply showing you a problem, it can suggest or carry out solutions based on the rules you set.
Here are a few examples of how this can work in supply chains:
- Adjusting to Demand: If sales are rising faster than expected, the system can flag it and recommend shifting more stock to the right warehouse.
- Rebalancing Inventory: If one location has too much stock and another runs low, the system can propose a transfer.
- Routing Deliveries: The system can plan an alternate route if traffic or weather causes a delay.
- Managing Orders: If an order looks incorrect or is delayed, the system can correct it.
The critical point is that humans still set the limits. You can start with agents that only make suggestions and later allow them to act directly with oversight.
Why Glue and Agentic AI Work Well Together
- Clean Data to Act On: Glue ensures the AI works with accurate, up-to-date information.
- Automation of Updates: Glue refreshes supply chain data on a schedule or when new information arrives. This removes manual steps.
- Real-time Action: Agentic AI can respond quickly to changes with fresh data.
- Scalable Approach: You can apply this setup to one process, then expand gradually.
- Balance of Automation and Control: Humans remain in charge while AI handles repetitive tasks.
Real-World Applications for Small and Large Organizations
Large companies have already shown what this looks like in practice. Robots in warehouses can now handle multiple tasks, demand forecasts are becoming more accurate by using outside signals like weather, and delivery routing can adjust in real time.
Smaller organizations can apply the same ideas at their own scale. For example:
- A regional distributor could use Glue to combine sales and inventory data from several systems.
- An AI agent could then monitor that data and suggest transfers between warehouses to prevent stockouts.
- Delivery fleets could use the setup to reroute around delays without waiting for manual input.
Steps to Get Started
- Build the Data Foundation with Glue: Connect all the systems where your supply chain data lives. Clean and catalog the data to ensure consistency. Automate the refresh process to keep the data current.
- Start Small with AI agents: Pick one area, like routing or inventory balancing. Set up clear rules so the agent knows what it can do automatically and what needs human approval.
- Expand Responsibly: Track what the agents do and review results regularly. As confidence grows, expand to new processes like demand forecasting or supplier coordination.
Take Control of Your Supply Chain with Mactores
The real value of combining Glue and Agentic AI is reducing the time spent on repetitive, reactive tasks. When data is reliable and systems can act on it, supply chain teams can shift focus to long-term strategy, supplier relationships, and improving customer service.
This isn't about replacing people. It's about giving them better tools to handle complex systems, while letting automation take care of routine issues in the background.
Let Mactores help you implement Amazon Glue and Agentic AI to automate routine tasks, keep data accurate, and free your team to focus on strategic decisions.
FAQs
- What's the difference between Amazon Glue and Agentic AI?
Glue is a tool for collecting, cleaning, and organizing data. Agentic AI is designed to act on that data automatically by making suggestions or taking steps.
- Do humans still stay in control?
Yes. You can decide how much autonomy the AI has. Many organizations start with agents that only make recommendations before allowing them to act directly.
- Is this only useful for huge companies?
No. While big companies may use these tools at scale, smaller businesses can benefit too. Starting with just one process, like automating inventory checks, can deliver real value without significant investments.