SalesTechStar Interview with Yifat Baror, Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer at Osa Commerce

Yifat Baror, Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer at Osa Commerce talks about some of the biggest lags in commerce and supply chain operations with an overview of what brands can do about it:

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Welcome to this SalesTechStar chat Yifat, tell us about yourself and your role at Osa Commerce?

I have over two decades of experience growing omnichannel retail brands globally, focusing on GTM strategy and high-performance teams. Previously, I founded and exited an international retail distribution business. Through that experience, I saw firsthand the pain points of scaling across borders — especially the lack of supply chain visibility and collaboration. These issues drove me to find innovative solutions to break down data silos and connect systems. That led me to co-found Osa Commerce, serving as Chief Growth Officer and spearheading marketing, sales and strategy. At Osa, our Collaborative Visibility Platform provides the comprehensive visibility I was searching for — giving brands, retailers and logistics providers a complete view across the supply chain to drive growth.

How are you seeing supply chain trends evolve today and how is the impact of new age automation changing the game here?

Emerging technologies and a need for greater resilience drive a rapid evolution in the supply chain. Automation — from predictive insights to warehouse robotics —  is mission-critical in light of labor shortages and increasing supply chain complexities. The new age of automation can supplement strained workforces.

Supply chain managers are also embracing collaborative visibility through real-time data sharing platforms. By connecting systems and stakeholders, companies gain holistic visibility to optimize inventory management, reduce waste and improve customer service.

Companies must have customized supply chain management solutions. The trends are clear: resilient, transparent and flexible supply chains powered by predictive tech and automation will have the competitive edge.

What are some of the key challenges top brands still face when it comes to commerce operations?

Many leading companies still deal with major supply chain headaches as a result of disruptions, delays, outdated tech and more. Here’s a brief list of some major supply chain challenges:

• Legacy systems: Outdated supply chain technology leads to inefficiency, lack of visibility and risk.
• Visibility gaps: Only 6% of companies report having full visibility across their supply chains.
• Cybersecurity threats: Older systems are more vulnerable to cyber attacks, data breaches and ransomware.
• Customer dissatisfaction: Supply chain issues like delays lead to unhappy customers, damaged loyalty and lost sales.
• Forecasting limitations: Many brands still struggle to accurately predict demand, resulting in shortages or excess inventory.
• Data silos: Disparate systems that don’t seamlessly share data create operational barriers.

Even leading brands struggle to reshape their supply chains for the digital age. However, the right supply chain technology can make all the difference in mitigating these common challenges.

Read More: SalesTechStar Interview with Paul Cowan, Chief Growth Officer at When I Work

How is AI impacting the supply chain game today and what thoughts do you have surrounding the future of supply chain regards to AI?

AI is already transforming supply chain operations and is becoming non-negotiable for maximizing profit. With labor shortages, fluctuating demand and increasingly complex supply chains, companies need AI’s help. Automating repetitive tasks, boosting efficiency, enhancing visibility and providing predictive insights — that’s where AI shines.

AI powers smarter inventory and demand forecasting by analyzing customer data, weather and market conditions, preventing costly overstocks and stockouts. It also enables dynamic order routing and shipment consolidation for lower fulfillment costs.

AI will be huge for social commerce, where brands must ship small batch, customized orders. AI can optimize packaging, predict optimal delivery routes and even manage volatile inventory levels as social selling scales up.

AI-enabled sensors enhance product monitoring throughout the supply chain journey, bringing next-level visibility to item tracking and quality control.

While AI won’t replace human intelligence, we anticipate it to augment supply chain professionals by removing grunt work and alleviating human error. An AI-powered supply chain is a resilient, efficient and customer-centric supply chain.

For brands looking to optimize their supply chain journeys, what factors should they focus on improving?

Brands can transform their supply chains into strategic assets delivering speed, agility and cost efficiency by focusing on visibility, forecasting, route optimization and condition monitoring. The key? Leveraging modern technologies like AI, sensors and analytics to unlock data-driven improvements.

Supply chain visibility enables organizations to gain real-time visibility across every link, from manufacturing to delivery. With visibility into inventory levels, shipment locations and potential delays, brands can proactively address issues and meet customer expectations.

Accurate inventory forecasting is critical, too. AI and data analytics can evaluate variables like purchase history, seasonality and market trends to predict demand, reducing overstocks and stockouts.

Shipping route optimization cuts costs and delivery times. AI can dynamically optimize routes based on real-time conditions.

Proactively monitoring product conditions throughout the journey also prevents quality issues and improves customer satisfaction. IoT sensors enable tracking of temperature, humidity, shocks and more.

Read More: Effectively Optimizing Revenue Lifecycle Transformation Amid Market Challenges