Data - Listen to What's NOT Being Said

Supply Chain has evolved a lot in the last couple of decades, and a new “thing” is using “data and AI” to make Supply Chains smarter, faster and more efficient. I have invested lots of time and money in understanding the role of data and AI in the Supply Chain. As Supply Chain professionals, we collect data to dice, slice, manipulate, and present insights based on business requirements. There is small learning I would like to share with you all.

This article is not new, but I think wisdom like this one doesn’t have a time stamp. First time I read this was in a business magazine when I was learning about Supply Chain.

The story is from WW2 when Allies forces were collecting data from fighter planes that would come back from the battle with bullet holes. The data collection aimed to increase the combat survivability of a fighter plane by strengthening the most commonly damaged parts. Based on the data points, as you can see from the picture, everyone involved started working on ideas to add an extra layer of armour or an increased layer of steel where bullets hit the most. ?

In an actual case of thinking outside of the box, a mathematician, Abraham Wald, pointed out that certain areas of returning plans that weren’t covered in bullet holes are the most critical. Engineers argued that you could see bullet holes and damage, so how can this data be wrong? Abraham Wald smiled and said, “Planes that were shot in certain critical areas did not return in the first place.” This insight led to the armour being re-enforced on the parts of returning planes where there were no bullet holes. This wisdom is also beneficially applied today.

The point I want to make is that the reasons why missing specific data may be more meaningful than the available data itself. In this case, adding a few extra layers of armour wouldn’t have made much of a difference in increasing the ultimate goal of survivability of fighter planes.

Next time you are designing a new process in your Supply Chain, don’t only listen to what the given information says, but also listen to what is not being displayed.?