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When everything is done by computers, no human really knows what needs to be done even for a simple thing as buying vegetables.
by coliveira 1y ago
When everything is done by computers, no human really knows what needs to be done even for a simple thing as buying vegetables.
- TheOtherHobbes 1y agoBuying and distributing vegetables for stores is not remotely a simple thing. It includes statistical analysis with estimates of demand for every store, seasonal scheduling, weather awareness, complicated national and/or international logistics, plus accounting and payments. Some or all of those may be broken during a cyberattack.
- chatmasta 1y agoThat’s a good point but perhaps you underestimate the ingenuity borne from constraints. If you’ve got trucks arriving with meat that’s going to expire in a week, and all your stores have empty shelves, surely there is a system to get that meat into customer mouths before it expires. It could be as simple as asking each store, when they call (which they surely will), how much meat they ordered last week, and sending them the same this week. You could build out more complicated distribution mechanisms, but it should be enough to keep your goods from perishing until you manage to repair your digital crutch.
- halpow 1y ago[dead]
- 7952 1y agoThe suppliers will know and be able to predict what a large customer like M&S is likely to order. They will probably be preparing items before they are even ordered. And surely their must be some kind of understanding of what a typical store will receive.