Quantum computers get busy helping BMW optimise its global supply chain
Ultra-powerful quantum computers are perfectly designed to help solve optimisation problems, and most global supply chains are highly inefficient.
Key takeaways
- Back in 2019 Volkswagen became one of the first car makers to use quantum computers to optimise and manage its fleet of cars as they travelled around Lisbon during Web Summit.
- The new Honeywell H1 quantum computer BMW are using can determine the most optimal selections from the available choices making it an invaluable tool in helping BMW streamline their snaking global supply chain.
- After the 320e and 530e become available in March, the automaker will have 15 BMW models and one Mini with plug-in hybrid drive in its lineup.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2021) 'Quantum computers get busy helping BMW optimise its global supply chain', 311 Institute, 15 February. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/quantum-computers-get-busy-helping-bmw-optimise-its-global-supply-chain/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Back in 2019 Volkswagen became one of the first car makers to use quantum computers to optimise and manage its fleet of cars as they travelled around Lisbon during Web Summit. And now, mere months after China's quantum computer performed a calculation that would have taken a regular supercomputer 2.5 billion years to complete in just minutes, BMW has announced they’ve using the awesome raw power of quantum computers to help them optimise their global supply chains.
The automaker says it’s working with Honeywell to help it determine the best components to buy at the right time without disrupting its production lines. While one supplier might be able to deliver components faster, similar parts might be cheaper from another supplier at the same time, as CNET notes.
The new Honeywell H1 quantum computer BMW are using can determine the most optimal selections from the available choices making it an invaluable tool in helping BMW streamline their snaking global supply chain. Tracking the availability and pricing of components from a variety of suppliers can be a complex task, especially for traditional computers, so BMW is hoping that the quantum approach can help it to improve its manufacturing processes.
Elsewhere, BMW has announced entry-level plug-in hybrid versions of the 3 Series and 5 Series. After the 320e and 530e become available in March, the automaker will have 15 BMW models and one Mini with plug-in hybrid drive in its lineup.
What this means for your organisation
Optimisation is the first real use.
The task is choosing among suppliers where one may deliver faster while another is cheaper at the same time, which is complex for traditional computers. Quantum machines are suited to selecting the best option from many. Procurement leaders should identify their own hardest selection problems.
Early users are learning on real problems.
An earlier carmaker trial optimised a vehicle fleet moving around a city, and this one addresses global component buying. Each is a live operational question, not a benchmark. Technology leaders should pick a real problem rather than a demonstration.
Access comes through partners.
The carmaker works with a hardware provider rather than owning the machine. Capability is rented while the field matures. Firms curious about quantum should look for partnerships before investment.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- What is our hardest selection problem across many options?
- Would we test this on a real problem or a demonstration?
- Which partner could give us access without ownership?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Ultra-powerful quantum computers are perfectly designed to help solve optimisation problems, and most global supply chains are highly inefficient.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 15 February 2021. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2021). Quantum computers get busy helping BMW optimise its global supply chain. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/quantum-computers-get-busy-helping-bmw-optimise-its-global-supply-chain/
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