Mr. Robert Liscouski, CEO and founder of Quantum Computing Inc., has a feature piece in Material Handling & Logistics (MH&L). In the work, he makes a clear case for quantum computing’s application to supply chain planning. Well worth the full read at the link, below. Because Quantum is Coming. Qubit
Quantum Computing: A New Solution for Supply Chain and Logistics Optimization
+ World events ranging from the Suez Canal blockage to the global COVID-19 pandemic have shown how susceptible our supply chain management and logistics systems are to changes in consumer and business demand, raw materials availability, shipping, and distribution. The field of constrained optimization is well matched to address these needs, yet today’s classical computers can hit a wall amidst growing volumes of data and unpredictable disruptions. New software solutions will combine the power of classical and quantum computing to help planners stay ahead.
A field of mathematics called “constrained optimization” (CO) addresses these kinds of problems. It is about optimizing a function’s variables (e.g., trucks, SKUs, people), taking into account their constraints (e.g., cost, volume, time), for better business decision-making and efficiency.
+ Constrained optimization can yield high value insights from the complex data that logistics decision-makers use every day. Classical computers are chipping away at tough problems using this method, to generate estimations and approximations. But as our data volumes increase geometrically, they hit a wall.
+ While the full capabilities of quantum computers are years away, emerging software solutions aim to bridge classical and quantum computing worlds using quantum-ready techniques that produce better results for constrained optimization, using larger data sets on classical computers and eventually for quantum systems. Understanding and implementing quantum computing techniques today can help put supply chain and logistics-reliant companies (e.g., those in e-commerce, manufacturing, transportation, distribution, etc.) ahead of the competition.
+ Quantum-driven classical, and quantum hybrids offer not only faster results, but more importantly results with a higher accuracy and diversity. This helps businesses get better insight into their increasingly complex decisions and operations.
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