Supply chain leaders are putting less emphasis on planning and visibility alone and more focus on how well they actually execute, according to new research from Infios.
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In its Supply Chain Execution Readiness Report, based on a survey of 100 U.S.-based supply chain leaders, 79% said fast, dynamic execution is now their main source of competitive advantage in volatile markets. For many, the edge no longer comes from visibility alone. It comes from reacting quickly and keeping orders, warehouses, and transportation aligned.
That shift is driving new spending. The study found that 59% of organizations plan to increase spending on supply chain execution over the next year, even as economic pressure continues.
But the research also shows a gap between what companies want to do and what they can do today.
More than half of respondents (58%) cited manual workflows as their biggest source of inefficiency. Nearly half (46%) said they lack automation for daily tasks. Only 20% reported having real-time visibility across operations.
When disruptions hit, most companies still react rather than get ahead of the problem. Just 6% said they use analytics or AI for automated, prescriptive responses during major disruptions. A majority (51%) said they primarily react as events unfold. Another 43% said they rely on predictive alerts but still depend on manual intervention.
“Supply chains aren’t struggling because leaders lack intent or investment,” said Richard Stewart, Executive Vice President of Product and Industry Strategy at Infios. “They’re struggling because execution environments were never designed to sense disruption, coordinate decisions and act in real time. When systems operate in silos, even minor delays quickly cascade into missed commitments and rising costs.”
The report also found that while interest in AI is growing, adoption remains limited. Only 23% said they have implemented AI in select workflows across supply chain execution. Another 41% are still in pilot stages.
According to Stewart, the real opportunity is not just to collect more data but to connect intelligence directly to action.
“AI creates the most value when intelligence is directly connected to action,” Stewart added. “The organizations that pull ahead will be those that move from systems that record activity to systems that act—automatically, intelligently and end to end.”
