Zack Knight

This post is written by our friends at e2open. E2open is the connected supply chain software platform that enables the world’s largest companies to transform the way they make, move, and sell goods and services. Moving as one.™ Learn More: www.e2open.com.   Global supply chains are under pressure like never before, and disruptions aren’t rare events anymore—they’re structural, constant, and often originate outside your four walls. A single weak link in your supplier network can ripple across production schedules, customer commitments, and brand reputation. The old playbook of reacting to occasional crises doesn’t cut it. To thrive in 2025 and beyond, companies need real-time visibility, predictive insights, and agile execution. That’s where supply chain control tower technology comes in.   What is a supply chain control tower, really? A control tower acts as the command center for your supply chain. It gathers and visualizes data, analyzes disruption impacts, and provides actionable recommendations before problems escalate. Advanced solutions can even automate responses to routine issues and enable cross-functional collaboration to ensure that decisions aren’t just well-informed, they’re executed across the supply chain as well.   Why control towers matter now Supply chain risk isn’t a passing cloud; it’s a thunderstorm that…

At Manifest 2026, Scott Luton shared a cup of coffee with Max Garland, Senior Reporter at Supply Chain Dive, an Informa TechTarget publication, for a boots-on-the-ground perspective from one of the industry’s most plugged-in observers. Garland covers freight, logistics, retail fulfillment, and parcel delivery: the parts of the supply chain where strategy meets reality. And after a bruising 2025, he sees an industry that’s not just reacting anymore. It’s recalibrating.   From Plan B to Plan D If 2025 had a theme, Garland says it was contingency planning. “Last year was when a lot of companies were putting together those Plan B’s, Plan C’s, and Plan D’s,” he explained, pointing to tariff upheaval and shifting trade policy that forced leaders into constant reaction mode. Companies prioritized flexibility: diversifying sourcing, adjusting procurement strategies, and preparing for fires wherever they might spark. In 2026, that flexibility remains. But the tone has shifted. Now companies are “firming up their plans, fine-tuning, making sure those back-up plans are cost-effective as well.” It’s no longer just about avoiding disruption; it’s about operating efficiently within it. In other words, supply chain leaders aren’t just jumping over candlesticks anymore (like Jack from the old nursery rhyme). They’re…