Patrick Maley

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…

Most organizations talk about visibility—but few truly achieve it. Are you one of them? In today’s fast-paced, disruption-prone environment, having real-time visibility across your supply chain isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. Yet, fewer than 10% of companies surveyed can say they have end-to-end insight into their supply chain operations. So what’s standing in the way? And more importantly—how do you overcome it? “Understanding the Foundation of Visibility” is the first whitepaper in a powerful new series by NCS Partners, designed to help supply chain leaders break down silos, align teams, and turn fragmented data into actionable insight. Download this white paper to learn how to: Identify the five most impactful focus areas for building end-to-end visibility Align leadership and secure cross-functional buy-in to drive transformation Build a clear vision and roadmap to avoid common visibility pitfalls Integrate distributed data sources to enable real-time, actionable insight Promote continuous improvement and communication across teams   Whether you’re just beginning your visbility journey or ready to refine your approach, this foundational guide offers expert-backed strategies used by top-performing organizations.   Download the “Understanding the Foundation of Visbility” white paper here to learn more