Poor data quality costs UK supply chains millions, warned experts at the second SCP Club event at the Morgan Motor Company in Malvern.
This was one of the stark warnings shared at the UK Supply Chain Professionals (SCP) Club’s second flagship event, hosted by Slimstock.
Bouwmaat CEO Paulo Peereboom said: “Modern supply chains mean everything must happen within much shorter timeframes.
“This creates a pressure cooker effect, where errors, broken processes or poor data quality are quickly magnified.
“When master data is wrong, the consequences can escalate rapidly into millions of euros in losses.”
He gave an example from a previous role, where repeated data errors forced the reprinting of folder leaflets every two weeks at a cost of €300,000 each time.
Steven Pauly, AI lead at Slimstock, said: “Poor data isn’t just an admin issue or inconvenience, it creates real-world risk.
“Errors in demand data, for example, can trigger overproduction or stockouts, which result in revenue leakage.
“And late or incomplete shipment data can lead to missed delivery windows and contractual penalties, incurring costs and eroding stakeholder trust.”
Morgan Motor Company (Image: Morgan Motor Company)
A recurring theme at the event was the changing nature of supply chain roles as organisations move towards data-driven, automated operations.
Samir Selimi, founder of Purchase Ai, described how agentic AI can reduce manual work and errors by automatically validating, correcting and approving data in real time.
The technology, speakers said, removes the need for time-consuming email exchanges, manual chasing and adjustments, customer clarifications and rejected changes.
Jenny Lowrie, director of the UK SCP Club, said: “This shift in emphasis around data quality and speed is redefining traditional roles within organisations.
“Rather than acting as ‘data police,’ supply chain and data analysts are evolving into value-driven business advisors who can focus on insight generation and strategic decision-making.”
The SCP Club continues to promote collaboration and innovation in the sector, offering a forum for shared learning and best practice.
Attendees left the event with practical insights, new connections and a clearer understanding of how Agentic AI can be applied to address real-world challenges and carve out competitive advantage.
Further details on upcoming events will be announced soon as the SCP Club continues to grow and evolve.
