What’s Next in AI + Supply Chain? Plug & Play Summit Takeaways

1. Innovation Is Alive—But More Focused Than Ever

Despite broader macroeconomic pressures, innovation is far from slowing down. But it has changed. Sasha observed that compared to three to five years ago—when many startups were pitching abstract “white space” innovation—today’s environment is far more grounded.

Companies are now looking for fit-for-purpose solutions that map directly to known, high-value business problems. Flashy doesn’t cut it anymore. Real-world impact is the new filter.

“We’re seeing a shift from white space innovation to solving real-world problems.”
– Sasha Koff

2. GenAI Is Shifting from Central to Functional Teams

David noted a significant shift in how organizations are adopting generative AI. It’s no longer solely the domain of innovation labs or IT teams. Instead, functional departments—procurement, logistics, planning—are beginning to experiment with GenAI on their own terms.

This decentralization creates huge opportunity for speed—but also presents new challenges around consistency, enablement, and governance.

“Innovation is shifting from centralized teams to functional groups looking to solve problems on their own.”
– David Warrick

3. Decentralized Innovation Demands Governance

Which leads to the next big takeaway: governance. While no one wants to stifle innovation, Sasha emphasized the need for clear engagement models and usage boundaries, especially as AI applications proliferate across different teams and use cases.

Organizations need to support autonomy while ensuring that decentralized efforts don’t lead to fragmentation, redundancy, or even conflicts between business units.

“How do we allow decentralized innovation without creating process chaos?”
– Sasha Koff

4. Enterprise + Startup Collaboration Still Needs Work

One of the core missions of Plug & Play is to bridge the gap between early-stage startups and large enterprises. But David and Sasha both acknowledged that this relationship is still messy.

Often, startups pitch without clearly understanding enterprise needs, while corporate buyers sometimes enter conversations without a specific problem in mind. The best partnerships are not plug-and-play—they’re co-created.

“Startups often don’t know what they’re selling, and enterprises don’t always know what they need.”
– David Warrick

5. AI’s True Value Lies Beyond Automation

Many of the startups at the summit showcased AI capabilities focused on automating repetitive, transactional tasks. While this has immediate value, David challenged the notion that automation alone constitutes innovation.

Real transformation comes not from layering AI onto old workflows—but from rethinking the business model entirely.

“Automation isn’t transformation. It’s just the first step.”
– David Warrick

6. Problem-First Thinking Drives Results

Both Sasha and David returned frequently to this foundational principle: start with a problem. Technology adoption works best when it is grounded in clear pain points, measurable impact, and well-defined user personas.

Without this foundation, even powerful tools can fail to deliver results—or worse, solve problems no one is really trying to fix.

“Start with a problem, measure the impact, and move on. That’s how you unlock ROI.”
– Sasha Koff

7. Enterprise Tech Readiness Is Lagging Behind AI’s Pace

Finally, a recurring theme throughout the event: the pace of AI advancement is outstripping many organizations’ ability to absorb it. In some cases, foundational issues—like moving data from one place to another—still take precedence over deploying advanced AI tools.

Sasha described this disconnect as a maturity gap. Companies are intrigued by what’s possible, but many are still working to modernize the basics.

“The technology is ready, but many organizations are not.”
– Sasha Koff

Final Thoughts

The Plug & Play Summit was a reminder that the technology is real—and the appetite is growing. But to truly unlock AI’s potential, organizations must stop chasing the hype and start solving meaningful problems.

As Sasha and David emphasized, innovation doesn’t come from platforms or dashboards. It comes from clarity, discipline, and smart execution—one problem at a time.

In the months ahead, the winners won’t be the ones with the flashiest tech stack. They’ll be the ones who can:

• Prioritize the right use cases,

• Govern decentralized efforts effectively,

• And rethink business models from the ground up.

Fit-for-purpose. Problem-led. Value-obsessed.

That’s what’s next in AI and supply chain.