[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f3pnda2tyljdwi":3,"$f1fn4bvlmx2a6v":232,"page-template:\u002Farticles\u002Fscaling-agentic-ai:{}":253},{"content":4,"navigationFallbacksEnabled":35,"previewEnvironmentEnabled":35},{"siteKey":5,"siteName":6,"tagline":7,"seo":8,"errorPage":21,"siteModals":36,"customSettings":37,"globals":42},"darden-report","Darden Report","News and knowledge from the UVA Darden School of Business.",{"title":9,"description":10,"image":11},"Darden Report - The Latest News and Ideas from UVA Darden School of Business","The Darden Report offers the latest news, research, and stories about the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.",{"src":12,"alt":13,"aspectRatio":14,"width":15,"height":16,"bynderDat":17},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002F189175de-2440-489a-939e-91d6f7e7989a\u002FGoodwin-Grounds-autumn","goodwin grounds","6048 \u002F 4024",6048,4024,{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":19,"name":20},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu","189175de-2440-489a-939e-91d6f7e7989a","Goodwin-Grounds-autumn",{"statusLabel":22,"title":23,"summaryBeforeHomeLink":24,"homeLinkLabel":25,"homeHref":26,"summaryAfterHomeLink":27,"searchEnabled":28,"searchLabel":29,"searchPlaceholder":30,"seo":31},"Error 404","Wa-who?","We cannot locate a page at this address. Try searching using the input below or starting from the ","homepage","\u002F",".",true,"Search Darden Report","Search...",{"title":32,"description":33,"robots":34},"Page Not Found",null,{"noindex":28,"nofollow":35},false,[],{"algoliaEngagement":38},{"activeSeconds":39,"scrollRatio":40,"idleSeconds":41,"mediaPercent":39},20,0.5,60,{"masthead":43,"menuOverlay":59,"footer":191},{"homeHref":26,"tagline":7,"topicsLabel":44,"subscribeLabel":45,"menuLabel":46,"searchLabel":47,"topics":48},"Trending","Subscribe","Open menu","Open search",[49,51,53,55,57],{"label":50,"href":26},"Tariffs Q&A",{"label":52,"href":26},"AI Datacenters",{"label":54,"href":26},"Productivity Boom",{"label":56,"href":26},"CES 2026",{"label":58,"href":26},"Colorado Water Rights",{"overlayLabel":60,"homeHref":26,"tagline":7,"quickLinks":61,"topicsLabel":62,"topics":63,"browseLabel":121,"browseLinks":122,"connectLabel":154,"connectLinks":155,"registerLabel":172,"registerCta":173,"searchLabel":29,"searchPlaceholder":30,"searchSubmitLabel":189,"closeLabel":190},"Site menu",[],"Topics",[64,71,77,83,89,95,102,109,115],{"id":65,"label":66,"href":67,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":68,"imageSrc":69,"imageAlt":70},"2PGBfQ54OTbNUe92lTxC30","Artificial Intelligence","\u002Ftopics\u002Fartificial-intelligence","Research and expert perspective on intelligent systems, automation, and the changing economics of decision-making. Darden faculty explore how organizations can evaluate emerging tools, govern responsible adoption, and use AI to improve judgment, productivity, customer value, and competitive advantage without losing sight of people and institutional trust.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Feadee323-faa1-436f-979b-40761fb64624\u002FAI-Primary-Topic-Vertical","Surreal AI-Generated Cosmic Landscape – Generative AI, Art and Human Creativity",{"id":72,"label":73,"href":74,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":75,"imageSrc":76,"imageAlt":73},"7hvQgsg6I0A9QRkXKcNJrN","Data & Analytics","\u002Ftopics\u002Fdata-analytics","Data & Analysis examines how leaders turn information into sharper questions, stronger evidence, and better decisions. Darden insights cover analytics, experimentation, forecasting, risk, and interpretation, helping organizations separate signal from noise and translate complex findings into practical choices across strategy, operations, markets, and society.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Fbbea14b9-cfe3-415b-bcab-f97f753f6c54\u002FData-Analytics-Primary-Topic",{"id":78,"label":79,"href":80,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":81,"imageSrc":82,"imageAlt":79},"7hztN5kb1RdsP9iGiC05dV","Entrepreneurship","\u002Ftopics\u002Fentrepreneurship","Economic and social advancement require leaders who embrace an entrepreneurial outlook and a commitment to innovation. Darden thought leadership emphasizes that an entrepreneurial mindset is about more than starting a new business venture; it encompasses the opportunity-seizing and action-oriented behavior essential for sustained growth in organizations of all sizes.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Fa8e8e5fe-f1d5-478b-8877-31b8b0c43f0c\u002FThe-Importance-of-Courage",{"id":84,"label":85,"href":86,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":87,"imageSrc":88,"imageAlt":85},"2dPcCN1FQ26ZIFcvdIsh4","Global Economies & Markets","\u002Ftopics\u002Fglobal-economies-markets","Faculty insight on trade, markets, policy, global business, and economic change. This topic connects macroeconomic forces with organizational decisions, examining how leaders navigate uncertainty, regulation, capital flows, geopolitical shifts, and cross-border opportunity while building resilient institutions in markets that are increasingly interdependent.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Fd6db5e0d-c0fe-4e51-8f38-5e995d232d04\u002FA-Quick-Queue-or-a-Long-One-Waiting-in-Line-Around-the-World",{"id":90,"label":91,"href":92,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":93,"imageSrc":94,"imageAlt":91},"7mgp2vBjTofDsgB34ap4nb","Ethics & Society","\u002Ftopics\u002Fbusiness-ethics-society","The multidisciplinary study of Business, Ethics & Society focuses on sustaining, growing and sharing value, not just for businesses and their shareholders, but for stakeholders and the societies in which they operate. This vein of study encompasses ethical decision-making, examination of how business can and does impact society, implications for policy, principles of moral and institutional leadership, and the tenets of stakeholder theory.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002F326ec289-e377-49ca-81ff-8a78a16d7e6d\u002FEthics-and-Society-Primary-Topic",{"id":96,"label":97,"href":98,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":99,"imageSrc":100,"imageAlt":101},"18nXfYyrV3JAT3y57GWhcK","Leadership & Management","\u002Ftopics\u002Fleadership-management","Practical research for leading teams, organizations, culture, and change. Darden thought leadership explores how managers build trust, make difficult decisions, communicate purpose, develop talent, and guide people through uncertainty while sustaining performance and strengthening the human systems that make organizations work.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002F6557a226-8bac-44d0-83c1-0efdfe88b396\u002F11-Key-Characteristics-of-a-Global-Business-Leader","various colors of blocks stand in an equality and inclusive space, in the style of precisionism influence, silhouette figures, superimposed text, nul group, disfigured forms, miniature illumination, consumer culture critique --ar 128:85 --stylize 50 --v 6 Job ID: 2731b55d-e2b8-4468-81be-bb16e507686f",{"id":103,"label":104,"href":105,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":106,"imageSrc":107,"imageAlt":108},"5JMdm6cuNXm8p9L15kOLSX","Marketing & Sales","\u002Ftopics\u002Fmarketing-sales","Ideas for understanding customers, building markets, and communicating value. This topic examines consumer behavior, brand strategy, sales effectiveness, pricing, segmentation, and digital channels, helping leaders connect insight to action and create relationships that support growth across changing audiences and competitive environments.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002F146f2b70-b04a-4495-853d-c5b78196f276\u002FMarketing-Primary-Topic","Marketing Primary Topic",{"id":110,"label":111,"href":112,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":113,"imageSrc":114,"imageAlt":111},"siVfdjcE5Xfd4pbT1jeWD","Operations & Technology","\u002Ftopics\u002Foperations-technology","Research on systems, digital operations, supply chains, and technology-enabled performance. Darden faculty examine how organizations design processes, manage complexity, improve reliability, and use new tools to create efficient, adaptable operations that support strategy, customer experience, and long-term organizational resilience.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Ff36239ad-c7bf-46fe-93b2-e6df18cb2fef\u002FOperations-Technology-Primary-Topic",{"id":116,"label":117,"href":118,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35,"description":119,"imageSrc":120,"imageAlt":117},"4NDEiXoxAt8TlDGLBWYCqu","Strategy","\u002Ftopics\u002Fstrategy","Frameworks and evidence for competition, growth, transformation, and long-term enterprise decisions. Strategy insights from Darden help leaders assess where to play, how to win, when to change course, and how to allocate resources in ways that create durable advantage amid uncertainty.","https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Ff8c81a7f-2b2c-4d37-964e-84382b3b1ef5\u002FBeyond-Strategy-3-Lessons-and-4-Ingredients-of-Execution","Browse",[123,127,131,135,139,143,146,150],{"id":124,"label":125,"href":126,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"49UXns6sWSYS1QfelJsnUS","Articles","\u002Farticles",{"id":128,"label":129,"href":130,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"5h02IsSCwqwqdvAeEfC2uq","Podcasts","\u002Fpodcasts",{"id":132,"label":133,"href":134,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"3i2eJKSFhZolFdIe3c6t5V","Videos","\u002Fvideos",{"id":136,"label":137,"href":138,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"7x4aolsVH0DQFMby9iunAJ","Media Features","\u002Fmedia-features",{"id":140,"label":141,"href":142,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"3rM0mhH3WJY4ThjFiyfnoV","Experts","\u002Fexpert\u002Fdirectory",{"id":144,"label":45,"href":145,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"1pq8d8gTugtnM0goPxBXVR","#subscribe",{"id":147,"label":148,"href":149,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"2G9kuRukBaUj9ddCJur1rC","Give","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.givecampus.com\u002Fcampaigns\u002F20048\u002Fdonations\u002Fnew",{"id":151,"label":152,"href":153,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"1ql3y6NAQuUglXnn3dKJPy","About","\u002Fabout","Connect with Darden",[156,160,164,168],{"id":157,"label":158,"href":159,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"2EPrW3IELdCZUN4AdZc5aU","Facebook","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.facebook.com\u002FDardenMBA",{"id":161,"label":162,"href":163,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"382CfbeZQiqklJrRmCGew4","Instagram","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.instagram.com\u002Fdardenmba\u002F",{"id":165,"label":166,"href":167,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"5IPd9qziZHiSSLmZ9ypypW","LinkedIn","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fedu\u002Fschool?id=19605",{"id":169,"label":170,"href":171,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"5DpGLgbQS541wvmzk7yAn4","YouTube","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fuser\u002FDardenMBA","Featured Event",{"id":174,"previewOnly":35,"href":175,"external":28,"accessibleLabel":176,"openInNewWindow":28,"image":177,"date":186,"startDateTime":187,"endDateTime":188,"title":179},"3sGe8qongAY1Kc95z4h0Oh","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.darden.virginia.edu\u002Fexecutive-education\u002Fstrategic-data-analytics-for-competitive-advantage","Test",{"src":178,"alt":179,"aspectRatio":180,"width":181,"height":181,"bynderDat":182},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Fc9667467-ef6d-41ff-91ee-3f9665adc4b7\u002FDriving-Ethical-Innovation-in-the-Age-of-AI","AI-Powered Data Analytics","1 \u002F 1",700,{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":183,"name":184,"preset":185},"c9667467-ef6d-41ff-91ee-3f9665adc4b7","Driving-Ethical-Innovation-in-the-Age-of-AI","square-medium","Nov 10-13","2026-11-10","2026-11-13","Submit search","Close menu",{"homeHref":26,"links":192,"subscribeHeading":227,"subscribeLabel":45,"imageSrc":228,"imageAlt":229,"institutionalLabel":230,"copyright":231},[193,197,201,204,207,211,214,217,219,223],{"id":194,"label":195,"href":196,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"6GCwvduoNlDEeO6nq1laFq","For The Media","\u002Ffor-the-media",{"id":198,"label":199,"href":200,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"2lqtlsCRCghroHk8jgcCi0","Publications","https:\u002F\u002Fstore.darden.virginia.edu\u002F",{"id":202,"label":203,"href":26,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"4rcubVXgLnQBYxJ833G7DO","Press Releases",{"id":205,"label":206,"href":26,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"6ColvvcR2M2zggiQQ0l965","In the Media",{"id":208,"label":209,"href":210,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"61sOurYMjR8U4mU5omcUjP","Apply to Darden","https:\u002F\u002Fapply.darden.virginia.edu\u002Fapply\u002F",{"id":212,"label":213,"href":149,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"563xnF7I5F2UYWYwJc5eXE","Support Darden",{"id":215,"label":216,"href":153,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"2BySyFumqkDGPDVmTtMYai","Contact Us",{"id":218,"label":152,"href":153,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"4QSVOSvmRnltRwfr5rLoSS",{"id":220,"label":221,"href":222,"external":28,"openInNewWindow":28},"75C0Q1ojWWmESgYLsm9bQk","Privacy Policy","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.darden.virginia.edu\u002Fprivacy-policy-copyright",{"id":224,"label":225,"href":226,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"35rcom3AAkYzApoNSavl1g","Search Darden","\u002Fsearch","Get Darden news, research, and thought leadership in your inbox.","\u002Fimages\u002Fdarden-report-footer.png","Autumn foliage over a brick courtyard at the UVA Darden School of Business.","UVA Darden School of Business","Copyright ©2026 The Rector and Visitors Of The University Of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.",{"enabled":28,"complete":28,"capacity":233,"label":44,"stale":35,"items":234},4,[235,241,245,249],{"contentId":236,"contentType":237,"label":238,"href":239,"source":240},"3IO50DiUrQm8ML20joajCL","article","Defense Innovation at Darden","\u002Farticles\u002Fthe-business-of-national-defense-is-changing-so-is-the-classroom","algolia",{"contentId":242,"contentType":237,"label":243,"href":244,"source":240},"4mDfyVZuEtdDW9g96wu1rU","On Academic Freedom","\u002Farticles\u002Fon-academic-freedom",{"contentId":246,"contentType":237,"label":247,"href":248,"source":240},"2GBmzAadCKzwTWJggqmArB","Christopher Fuller Named CMCO","\u002Farticles\u002Fchristopher-fuller-named-chief-marketing-and-communications-officer-at-uva-darden",{"contentId":250,"contentType":237,"label":251,"href":252,"source":240},"5QtyLWjq3hauPenG5pGTED","Alumni Career Advice","\u002Farticles\u002Fin-uva-dardens-classroom-building-six-alumni-put-career-advice-on-the-wall",{"path":254,"template":255,"content":256,"context":567},"\u002Farticles\u002Fscaling-agentic-ai","articlePage",{"id":257,"title":258,"slug":259,"path":254,"modifiedAt":260,"summary":261,"publishedDate":266,"topics":269,"authors":272,"insightsFrom":279,"topper":293,"bodyBlocks":314,"outro":517,"seo":560},"5eoPngdn2OdBNhJt6lYPYy","From Pilot Purgatory to Autonomous Supply Chains: The Path to Scaling Agentic AI","scaling-agentic-ai","2026-08-28T15:36:53.707Z",{"plainText":262,"inlines":263},"Agentic AI is positioned to transform supply chain management. But the biggest challenge, says UVA Darden professor Timothy Laseter, is moving from pilots to production across complex, real-world supply chains. His new white paper offers practical guidance for business leaders aiming to scale agentic AI in supply chain operations.",[264],{"type":265,"value":262},"text",{"display":267,"dateTime":268},"03 April 2026","2026-04-03",[270],{"id":271,"label":66,"href":67},"artificial-intelligence",[273],{"id":274,"name":275,"title":276,"href":277,"profileType":278},"6VYjt9zcFb8qJJdNrulPIQ","Gosia Glinska","Associate Director for Translational Research - Batten Institute","\u002Fpeople\u002Fgosia-glinska","person",[280],{"id":281,"name":282,"title":283,"href":284,"profileType":285,"image":286,"bio":292},"1x9mpAfDNnP90NImAB1vyk","Timothy M. Laseter","Professor of Practice","\u002Fexpert\u002Fdirectory\u002Ftimothy-m-laseter","faculty",{"src":287,"alt":288,"aspectRatio":180,"width":181,"height":181,"bynderDat":289},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fsquare-medium\u002Fd80800ef-28c2-4fb5-b5c9-fc2321e1cf2a\u002FTim-Laseter-Preferred","Tim Laseter Preferred",{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":290,"name":291,"preset":185},"d80800ef-28c2-4fb5-b5c9-fc2321e1cf2a","Tim-Laseter-Preferred","Laseter examines operations strategy, innovation, emerging technology and online retail. Previously, Laseter was a partner at Booz Allen Hamilton, helping global businesses with supply chain management, strategic sourcing and operations strategy.",{"id":294,"variant":295,"title":258,"subheadline":33,"topic":296,"image":297,"mastheadTheme":313},"5eoPngdn2OdBNhJt6lYPYy-topper","full",{"id":271,"label":66,"href":67},{"src":298,"alt":299,"aspectRatio":300,"width":301,"height":302,"bynderDat":303,"mobile":307},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fwidescreen-large\u002F6412e11f-fe9c-4049-b8da-6fc6cb31510c\u002FAgentic-AI-supply-chain-illustration-autonomous-supply-chains-AI-scaling-and-operations-management","Agentic AI supply chain illustration – autonomous supply chains, AI scaling and operations management","16 \u002F 9",2560,1440,{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":304,"name":305,"preset":306},"6412e11f-fe9c-4049-b8da-6fc6cb31510c","Agentic-AI-supply-chain-illustration-autonomous-supply-chains-AI-scaling-and-operations-management","widescreen-large",{"src":308,"alt":299,"aspectRatio":309,"width":310,"height":311,"bynderDat":312},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002F6412e11f-fe9c-4049-b8da-6fc6cb31510c\u002FAgentic-AI-supply-chain-illustration-autonomous-supply-chains-AI-scaling-and-operations-management","50 \u002F 73",1000,1460,{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":304,"name":305},"dark",[315],{"id":316,"contentType":317,"region":318,"render":319},"5eoPngdn2OdBNhJt6lYPYy-body-0","richText","body",{"component":320,"props":321},"RichTextBlock",{"content":322},{"blocks":323},[324,330,343,348,353,364,370,375,380,385,390,396,401,406,411,416,421,426,431,436,441,446,457,462,467,472,477,482,487,492,497,502],{"type":325,"content":326},"paragraph",[327],{"type":265,"value":328,"marks":329},"Agentic AI is positioned to transform supply chain management — not merely by automating tasks, but by building intelligent networks capable of learning from disruption, adapting in real time and reconfiguring operations autonomously. The business case is compelling. The execution, however, is where most organizations stumble.",[],{"type":325,"content":331},[332,335,340],{"type":265,"value":333,"marks":334},"A recent ",[],{"type":336,"value":337,"href":338,"external":28,"marks":339},"link","survey","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gep.com\u002Fresearch-reports\u002Fsupply-chain-ai-readiness-report-why-operational-discipline-determines-agentic-ai",[],{"type":265,"value":341,"marks":342}," of 180 senior supply chain executives, conducted by Tim Laseter, a professor of practice at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and an authority on operations strategy, and Mike DuVall, global head of strategy at GEP, reveals a striking gap between ambition and results. Of all respondents, fewer than a dozen had broadly scaled AI across their supply chain operations. ",[],{"type":325,"content":344},[345],{"type":265,"value":346,"marks":347},"“In procurement and sourcing , arguably the most AI-ready function,” says DuVall, “just 4 percent reported operating at scale, despite nearly 90% having pilots or plans underway.”",[],{"type":325,"content":349},[350],{"type":265,"value":351,"marks":352},"The conclusion is unambiguous: interest has crossed the chasm, but execution has not. “The biggest challenge,” says Laseter, “is moving from pilots to production across complex, real-world supply chains.”",[],{"type":325,"content":354},[355,358,361],{"type":265,"value":356,"marks":357},"Laseter and DuVall provide practical guidance for business leaders aiming to scale agentic AI in supply chain operations in their recent publication, “",[],{"type":336,"value":359,"href":338,"external":28,"marks":360},"The Supply Chain AI Readiness Report: Why Operational Discipline Determines Agentic AI Success",[],{"type":265,"value":362,"marks":363},".” Below are key highlights.",[],{"type":325,"content":365},[366],{"type":265,"value":367,"marks":368},"Why Most AI Efforts Stall",[369],"bold",{"type":325,"content":371},[372],{"type":265,"value":373,"marks":374},"The pattern is familiar. Executive mandates push organizations to “embrace AI,” triggering a wave of disconnected experiments in procurement, forecasting, risk planning and warehouse management. While pilots proliferate, results do not.",[],{"type":325,"content":376},[377],{"type":265,"value":378,"marks":379},"Without governance and operational redesign, pilots remain isolated showcases rather than engines of value. Organizations that do scale follow a different sequence: they clarify strategic intent, define decision rights and re-architect workflows before delegating judgment to machines.",[],{"type":325,"content":381},[382],{"type":265,"value":383,"marks":384},"What the Performance Elite Do Differently",[369],{"type":325,"content":386},[387],{"type":265,"value":388,"marks":389},"Laseter and DuVall identified a small cohort they call the Performance Elite — organizations that have moved beyond pilot purgatory to measurable results: doubled productivity, lower error rates and compressed response times. Their advantage does not come from better algorithms alone. It comes from redesigning work itself.",[],{"type":325,"content":391},[392],{"type":265,"value":393,"marks":394},"- Redesign before automating",[395,369],"italic",{"type":325,"content":397},[398],{"type":265,"value":399,"marks":400},"Leading organizations apply classic Lean logic: document the process, identify waste, then automate. As one executive in the study put it bluntly: “Don’t use AI to fix a problem. Fix the process — then use AI to make it efficient.” This often means rethinking objectives entirely: shifting from monthly to real-time planning cycles, moving demand planning from prediction to influence, or converting exception management from reactive to preventive. Amazon’s shift from two-day to one-day delivery illustrates the principle — the operational promise changed first, forcing a full redesign of inventory logic. Only then did automation scale.",[],{"type":325,"content":402},[403],{"type":265,"value":404,"marks":405},"- Govern AI like a portfolio",[395,369],{"type":325,"content":407},[408],{"type":265,"value":409,"marks":410},"Organizations that scale are far more likely to have a formal AI steering committee operating with a portfolio and agile approach. Rather than chasing hype-driven use cases, they source ideas bottom-up from frontline experts, align initiatives with business strategy and tie funding to demonstrated operational value. This hybrid model — bottom-up intelligence with top-down governance — prevents fragmentation. Scaling AI is less about experimentation volume and more about disciplined prioritization.",[],{"type":325,"content":412},[413],{"type":265,"value":414,"marks":415},"- Treat data as infrastructure",[395,369],{"type":325,"content":417},[418],{"type":265,"value":419,"marks":420},"In a human system, performance improves through coaching. In an agentic system, it improves through data refinement. Organizations that have successfully scaled AI are three times more likely to use automated data cleaning, four times more likely to deploy real-time dashboards, and nearly seven times more likely to maintain digital audit trails documenting AI logic. Leading organizations understand that data discipline is not hygiene. It is infrastructure.",[],{"type":325,"content":422},[423],{"type":265,"value":424,"marks":425},"Rethinking the Human-in-the-Loop",[369],{"type":325,"content":427},[428],{"type":265,"value":429,"marks":430},"A recurring trap in AI deployment is “accuracy obsession” — a preference for more accurate models even when the real question is asymmetric cost. The right framing is not “Is the model accurate?” but “What is the cost of being wrong?” In fraud detection, false positives are tolerable. In labor planning, unnecessary staffing is expensive. In demand forecasting, missed signals erode margin.",[],{"type":325,"content":432},[433],{"type":265,"value":434,"marks":435},"Effective organizations adjust intervention thresholds based on risk asymmetry. Early in deployment, experienced humans monitor for edge cases much like mentoring a new employee. Over time, as confidence grows and models improve, guardrails evolve. While static governance fails, notes Laseter, adaptive governance scales.",[],{"type":325,"content":437},[438],{"type":265,"value":439,"marks":440},"Designing Intelligent Value Streams",[369],{"type":325,"content":442},[443],{"type":265,"value":444,"marks":445},"The most powerful practical insight from leading organizations is segmentation. Rather than automating entire workflows uniformly, they divide transactions by complexity and risk. One global electronics manufacturer managing 60,000 purchasing transactions structured its work into four tiers: a zero-touch autopilot tier for low-value transactions; an “agentic sweet spot” for standardized mid-range cases; a complexity tier for high-spend or multi-document situations earmarked for iterative AI expansion; and a human exception tier for true edge cases requiring root-cause analysis.",[],{"type":325,"content":447},[448,451,454],{"type":265,"value":449,"marks":450},"This approach sidesteps two common failure modes: oversimplifying complex work and overengineering edge cases prematurely. Laseter and DuVall coined the term ",[],{"type":265,"value":452,"marks":453},"intelligent value streams",[395],{"type":265,"value":455,"marks":456}," for the deliberate matching of autonomy levels to risk profiles in agentic process flows.",[],{"type":325,"content":458},[459],{"type":265,"value":460,"marks":461},"The Hidden Friction: Stakeholders and Talent",[369],{"type":325,"content":463},[464],{"type":265,"value":465,"marks":466},"Laseter and DuVall’s study revealed that even leading companies underinvest in two areas. The first is stakeholder engagement. Many AI initiatives fail not because of technical flaws, but because affected employees are unaware or unsupportive. Cross-functional engagement improves solution quality and accelerates adoption — and converted skeptics often become the strongest advocates.",[],{"type":325,"content":468},[469],{"type":265,"value":470,"marks":471},"The second area is talent redesign. Agentic AI shifts work from routine analysis toward judgment, orchestration and exception management. Spreadsheet preparation can be automated. Running a sales and operations planning (S&OP) meeting cannot. In some environments, 100 traditional inventory analysts may become 20 AI-enabled analysts. Arriving at the right configuration — and evolving it over time — is a strategic decision, not an HR afterthought.",[],{"type":325,"content":473},[474],{"type":265,"value":475,"marks":476},"A Practical Path Forward",[369],{"type":325,"content":478},[479],{"type":265,"value":480,"marks":481},"Organizations that successfully scale agentic AI follow a repeatable sequence: stabilize and clarify processes, invest in data fidelity and governance, define decision rights and guardrails, segment workflows by complexity and risk, pilot within a structured portfolio framework, and evolve talent models alongside automation.",[],{"type":325,"content":483},[484],{"type":265,"value":485,"marks":486},"They do not launch AI into chaos. They engineer the environment for autonomy. The difference between pilots and performance is rarely technical, notes Laseter. It is operational readiness: clear workflows, disciplined governance, reliable data and thoughtful human integration.",[],{"type":325,"content":488},[489],{"type":265,"value":490,"marks":491},"The Leadership Imperative",[369],{"type":325,"content":493},[494],{"type":265,"value":495,"marks":496},"Agentic AI will matter not because it generates better answers, but because it can take better actions — repeatedly, safely and at scale — inside real workflows. Organizations that chase algorithms will remain stuck in pilot mode. Those that build intelligent value streams will redesign how work flows end-to-end and earn durable competitive advantage.",[],{"type":325,"content":498},[499],{"type":265,"value":500,"marks":501},"The winners will not be those with the flashiest models. They will be the ones with the discipline to fix the process first — and the courage to redesign it for an autonomous future.",[],{"type":325,"content":503},[504,507,509,512,515],{"type":265,"value":505,"marks":506},"These insights are based on the 2026 white paper \"",[395],{"type":336,"value":359,"href":338,"external":28,"marks":508},[395,369],{"type":265,"value":510,"marks":511},"\" by Michael DuVall and Timothy Laseter. The unabridged paper is available ",[395],{"type":336,"value":513,"href":338,"external":28,"marks":514},"here",[395,369],{"type":265,"value":27,"marks":516},[395],{"tags":518,"pressContact":523,"bios":553},{"topics":519,"storyType":521},[520],{"id":271,"label":66,"href":67},{"label":522,"href":126},"Article",{"id":524,"heading":525,"body":526,"image":536,"action":544,"contactLabel":546,"contactId":547,"contactName":548,"contactTitle":549,"contactEmail":550},"1JXqEbL3azVV5umnM8ChNj","About UVA Darden School of Business",{"blocks":527},[528,532],{"type":325,"content":529},[530],{"type":265,"value":531},"The University of Virginia Darden School of Business prepares responsible global leaders through unparalleled transformational learning experiences.",{"type":325,"content":533},[534],{"type":265,"value":535},"Darden's graduate degree programs and Executive Education & Lifelong Learning programs offered by the Darden School Foundation set the stage for a lifetime of career advancement and impact.",{"src":537,"alt":538,"aspectRatio":539,"width":540,"height":541,"bynderDat":542},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fc88de114-fc91-4aa8-b801-2e987f7a4a22\u002FDarden_Spring_Environmental_Spring_25_Saunders_Hall_20","Darden_Spring_Environmental_Spring_25_Saunders_Hall_20","8354 \u002F 5569",8354,5569,{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":543,"name":538},"c88de114-fc91-4aa8-b801-2e987f7a4a22",{"label":545,"href":26,"external":35,"openInNewWindow":35},"Learn More","Press Contact","2KGmVfjHQigGuWjTI4aCKw","Lauren Foster","Senor Director of Communications",{"label":551,"href":552},"fosterl@darden.virginia.edu","mailto:fosterl@darden.virginia.edu",[554],{"id":281,"name":282,"title":283,"body":292,"image":555,"action":557},{"src":287,"alt":288,"aspectRatio":180,"width":181,"height":181,"bynderDat":556},{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":290,"name":291,"preset":185},{"label":558,"href":284,"accessibleLabel":559},"Read more","Read more about Timothy M. Laseter",{"title":258,"description":262,"image":561},{"src":562,"alt":299,"aspectRatio":563,"width":564,"height":565,"bynderDat":566},"https:\u002F\u002Fimages.darden.virginia.edu\u002Ftransform\u002Fwidescreen-large\u002F6412e11f-fe9c-4049-b8da-6fc6cb31510c\u002FAgentic-AI-supply-chain-illustration-autonomous-supply-chains-AI-scaling-and-operations-management?io=transform%3Afill%2Cwidth%3A1200%2Cheight%3A630&quality=75","1200 \u002F 630",1200,630,{"baseUrl":18,"assetId":304,"name":305,"preset":306},{"canonicalPath":254,"identity":568},{"id":257,"contentType":237,"title":258,"path":254,"publishedAt":268,"modifiedAt":260,"topics":569,"authors":571,"eligibility":573},[570],{"id":271,"label":66},[572],{"id":274,"label":275},{"searchEngines":28,"followLinks":28,"internalSearch":28}]