Colgate-Palmolive, a 218-year-old company, embraces new thinking on supply chain technology, including AI. The company emphasizes practicality and scalability in implementing AI for supply chain transformation. While AI is seen as crucial for corporate survival, hasty investments without a solid plan may result in little progress. Colgate leverages past success in using discriminative AI for manufacturing quality, predictive maintenance, and AI decision support tools for replenishment planning. The company also implements generative AI to enhance the e-commerce customer journey. By scaling these initiatives across the business, Colgate aims to create substantial enterprise value.

Investors perceive AI as a technology that can unlock untapped opportunities, leading to increased enterprise value. Colgate's share price has benefited from these AI expectations. Despite being an older company in the industry, Colgate emphasizes a balance between stability and innovation, integrating technology, sustainability, and organizational strategy for continued growth. The company has also created a Supply, Demand, and e-commerce SVP role to achieve an end-to-end supply chain approach. Colgate's automation strategy focuses on both plant-level expertise and system-level metrics to benefit the entire company. Consistent performance and a focus on AI contribute to Colgate's success.