As budgets lock for the new year, supply chain leaders want clear steps they can take to get ready for 2026. Costs are rising, labor is tight, and trade conditions keep shifting, so teams are looking for practical ways to steady their operations and plan for what’s ahead. Most expect another year of change, which means last year’s playbook won’t carry them very far.
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That’s why many companies are using this planning window to tighten up their networks and focus on tools that actually help. They want to move faster and cut down on risk as disruptions keep coming. The idea is simple. Start early and head into 2026 on steadier footing.
Here are six steps companies can take now to lock in some quick wins while also focusing on longer-term fixes:
1. Use tech to get more done with less
Labor shortages and rising wages are making cost control a top priority for companies, but the forward-thinking operations are leveraging technology to get more done with fewer resources. Fortna recommends strategically locating seasonal and high-velocity SKUs in easily accessible areas to reduce travel time and boost picking productivity. You can use modern slotting tools equipped with data analytics to dynamically optimize layouts and robotic picking systems, as well as automated sortation equipment, to minimize reliance on manual labor while improving speed and accuracy.
2. Make good use of vertical space in the warehouse
Goods-to-person automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) use robotics to maximize vertical and horizontal storage capacity. By addressing SKU proliferation challenges, dense storage solutions ensure efficient utilization of every square foot of space, according to Fortna. Also, conveyor systems and mobile robots keep products flowing seamlessly through the warehouse. “These systems enable businesses to operate at peak efficiency even during seasonal surges,” Fortna adds.
3. Keep close tabs on the current trade environment
Outside of the warehouse’s four walls, Marsh tells companies to brace themselves for “another year of twists, turns and challenging events.” The US Supreme Court’s pending decision on the government’s use of the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) to implement wide-ranging tariffs could create a renewed period of uncertainty for businesses in 2026. “If the court rules this application unlawful, many of the bilateral tariff rates negotiated throughout 2025 could be invalidated immediately,” Marsh says, “and refunds may be owed on the tariffs collected.” The stakes are particularly high for the scheduled trilateral review of the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA). “With Canada and Mexico representing the US’s two largest trading partners, and with bilateral relations remaining unsettled,” the risk and insurance advisory says, “businesses should carefully track the political process and advocate for their interests rather than adopting a wait-and-see posture.”
4. Adapt new supply chain risk management strategies
Effectively managing the supply chain challenges that 2026 brings will require rethinking traditional approaches. Marsh says one insight from recent years is that long-settled rules governing regulation, financing, trade norms, and economic alignment are increasingly subject to debate and revision. “This means businesses must assertively advocate for the structures, rules, and norms that support their operations,” it points out, “or risk seeing them undermined, replaced, or weakened by other interests.”
5. Work to improve supply chain costs and margins
In Four actions supply chain and operations management leaders can take today, EY says sustainable cost reduction goes beyond cutting expenses and requires a “strategic cost management approach that combines a disciplined process, accurate data and the right technologies.” Some cost management strategies to test out in 2026 include optimizing sourcing, streamlining product lines, adjusting network footprints, synchronizing planning and overhauling operating models. These moves can improve margins and provide financial stability. “By focusing on areas of greatest distress or return on investment (ROI) and leveraging tools, such as ERP data and stakeholder insights,” EY adds, “companies can uncover significant opportunities for cost savings.”
6. Plan for tighter space and rising power needs
Prologis says warehouse capacity is tightening again and that many operations will hit functional limits in 2026. Companies that want to grow will need to secure space early and factor power availability into every location decision. Demand for power is climbing across traditional logistics and automation-heavy facilities, it adds, yet many regions already face grid delays and limited substation capacity. Smart companies are mapping their long-term space and power requirements now to maintain a stronger position as availability shrinks and competition increases.
Companies that put some or all of these strategies in action now can kick 2026 off with supply chains built to handle the uncertainty ahead. Conditions will shift. Costs will change. Labor will stay tight. The organizations that invest in readiness now will respond faster and avoid the scrambling that slows down the rest of the pack.
