Greg Buzek

Special Guest Blog Post written by Philip Vervloesem   If your supply chain planning still runs on a monthly cycle, 2026 will be uncomfortable. We are operating in a polycrisis where change is constant, and responses need to be fast enough to keep up. From customer conversations, industry research, and leadership discussions at the Gartner supply chain conferences, a clear pattern has emerged: the organizations pulling ahead are not planning more often. They are embedding agility, intelligence, and speed into the way they make decisions. Here are five predictions shaping supply chain excellence in 2026 – our “bingo card” for what’s now table stakes.   1. Continuous, always-on planning is a must Monthly or quarterly cycles are no longer enough. The organizations that outperform treat planning as a continuous capability embedded in daily operations, and make it part of their governance and operational excellence. Imagine this: a sudden surge in demand hits or a supplier flags a delay. Instead of waiting for the next planning cycle, teams immediately evaluate options, share insights across functions, and adjust course. Planning stops being a calendar exercise and starts shaping real-time decisions.   “By shifting from process-centric to decision-centric planning, we now run hundreds…

Change is certainly going to come, and a number of developments are expected to impact the supply chain in 2025. That includes the increased adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, investment growth in renewable energy, and momentum gains for nearshoring. No matter what happens in 2025, Supply Chain Now will be there every day to serve as the voice of the industry and keep supply chain podcast listeners informed about the big ideas as well as the little changes that could make a big impact. Ongoing Disruptions Are Set to Impact Industry The question isn’t whether there will be supply chain disruptions in 2025. It’s a matter of when, where, and the cause of the disruption. The International Longshoremen’s Association could go on strike again in January if a contract agreement is not reached. The Houthi could stage more attacks on containerships in the Red Sea at any time. And weather-related disasters could range from deadly ice storms to floods to hurricanes anywhere in the country. “Looking ahead to 2025, we can predict some major shifts and challenges for supply chains. Right now, businesses around the world are facing increasing pressure to adapt to new technologies, environmental impacts, and…