The distributors who navigate the next five years will be the ones whose teams trust what the numbers are telling them, then quickly act on that information. 

The demand for supply chain roles requiring AI skills has outpaced overall labor market growth.

Incisiv’s 2026 supply chain resilience report, conducted in partnership with Anaplan, assesses the current state of supply chain operations by surveying industry leaders across North America and EMEA. By examining strategic priorities, demand-supply responsiveness, technology and AI infrastructure, and financial outcomes, the research uncovers the critical financial impact of the “latency tax”— the hidden cost of delayed decision-making — and how to reclaim that margin.

Modern leaders need data-driven insights to make confident, real-time decisions that shield margins, enhance supply chain operations, and enrich customer experiences. As executives face a deluge of data points, this isn’t always straightforward. Global supply chain organizations face additional uncertainty — ranging from shifting environmental conditions to geopolitical disruption.

CSCOs are perfectly positioned, in theory, to help navigate the uncertain waters ahead. But CEOs don't trust them.

For boards of directors, supply chain design, risk exposure and resilience now carry heavy strategic, financial and legal consequences.

Hannah Testani, CEO of Intelligent Audit, explains how organizations can start small with AI, automate repetitive tasks, connect siloed data sources, and generate quick wins.

The majority of AI projects fail from a lack of foundational integrity. Clean data and integrated systems are the non-negotiable price of entry for a successful journey.

Inverto's annual Risk & Resilience Study also shows businesses are moving away from low-cost globalization models in favor of more regional supply chains.

Warehouse leaders should process-map current operations, identify pain points and understand where manual workarounds already exist before beginning the selection process.