Top 5 Supply Chain Trends to Watch in 2026
By: Camille Chin
Manifest always reveals the latest transformations underway in the logistics and supply chain industry, making the event a must-attend for industry professionals.
This year, AI took center stage across more than 150 sessions, with data and automation emerging as recurring themes. We unpacked the five trends we kept hearing about to get you up to speed.
1. AI: From Recommendations to Real-Time Autonomy
Inbound Logistics asked its readers, “How useful will AI be in 2026?” On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being transformative, 70% of respondents were optimistic:
- 28% rated AI’s usefulness at 8
- 24% rated it at 10
- 18% rated it at 9
It’s no surprise: AI is set to deliver more than dashboards and recommendations this year. Agentic AI will help monitor signals to identify opportunities and risks, propose solutions and workarounds, and automatically execute corrections within defined guardrails (re-routing and/or re-ordering, for example). Afterwards, it’ll track decisions, updates and outcomes to provide full visibility for human oversight.
A recent IBM study found that companies that invest more in AI for supply chain operations achieve 61% higher revenue growth over their counterparts. Accenture estimates that companies adopting autonomous, AI-driven supply chains can respond to disruptions 62% faster and recover 60% more quickly than those using traditional operations. Of course, whether AI will deliver its full potential in 2026 remains to be seen. And then, how long will it take to evaluate if all the expectations resulted in a true, positive impact?
2. Connected Intelligence: The Foundation for AI-Driven Supply Chains
Logistics and supply chain data are often scattered across emails and spreadsheets, fragmented among locations and partners, and trapped in systems that weren’t built for real-time visibility.
Applying AI to inconsistent and siloed data will produce unreliable results. Without unified data and end-to-end visibility across functions and processes, even advanced AI systems won’t be able to deliver meaningful value.
In 2026, cleaning and organizing business data will become critical priorities for successful AI adoption, along with integrating AI across core systems including ERP and Warehouse Management Systems. Data governance will directly influence financial performance this year.
3. The New KPIs for Dynamic Supply Chains
Our conversations at Manifest also revealed that more companies are adopting learning-oriented supply chains that can adapt in real time.
As a result, leaders are expanding their focus beyond traditional performance metrics such as cost per unit, on-time delivery, order fill rate, inventory turnover and forecast accuracy to include intelligence-centric KPIs.
Intelligence-centric metrics measure how quickly and effectively the supply chain can respond, learn and improve. Examples include:
- AI and automation decision accuracy
- The effectiveness of human-machine collaboration
- Optionality and resilience (supplier diversification, sourcing agility, recovery time after disruptions)
- Cybersecurity and risk management
- ESG (supplier ESG compliance rate, carbon footprint)
4. ESG and the Race to Net-Zero
Despite the deregulation of climate and ESG commitments, particularly in the U.S., many companies are leaning into sustainability with decarbonization now an integral part of their business strategies. Organizations are also gearing up to navigate global disclosure rules that could grow this year.
According to a recent Accenture report, 41% of the world’s 2000 largest companies (G2000) had net-zero targets for their entire supply chain last year. The majority of the G4000 (89%) are highlighting their decarbonization efforts as a business value in their communications.
Last year, the most common steps towards achieving net-zero targets included improving energy efficiency, cutting waste and expanding the use of renewable energy.
Interestingly, 24% of the G4000 are using AI to help with their decarbonization efforts; about 4% acknowledge that AI can drive emissions upwards.
5. Preparing for the Unpredictable: How to Stay Ahead
It goes without saying, but lingering global tension means that supply chain leaders need to double down on agility this year. Start by expanding your vendor networks, moving production closer to key markets and strategically stockpiling inventory in critical areas.
Digital tools will be invaluable for early-warning systems, tariff management and scenario modeling. AI-powered scenario simulators can help teams explore alternative flows and simulate what-if analysis, so they’re ready before new policies are implemented. Companies that normalize disruption as part of their daily operations will outperform those expecting stability to return.
Other Key Takeaways from Manifest:
The UniUni team had many chats about shipping and logistics. Here’s what left an impression about the challenges and opportunities in the last mile.
Strategic Partnerships and Risk Management
Sheila Berry, CRO: “One theme I heard was betting on the right 3PLs and carriers and having greater line of sight into providers’ financial footing.”
Consistency and Reliability Over Speed and Price
Mikail Dhanani, Business Development Representative: “While shippers care about speed, confidence in our SLAs is invaluable. One person noted that while speed is great, being able to say the package will be delivered in 5 days and having it delivered in that exact timeframe is preferred over saying it will be delivered in 2 days and having it delivered in 3. Interesting to hear these thoughts on consistency and accuracy.”
Erin Stewart, Sales Executive, US: “Speed is table stakes. What brands truly value is end-to-end visibility, real-time data, proactive communication and operational clarity that allow them to manage customer expectations and protect the brand experience. Ultimately, it’s not about flawless performance; it’s about consistent, accountable execution they can plan around, especially during peak.”
Roshan Patel, Business Development Manager: “Price rarely came up in my conversations. Most shipping questions were around reliability, SLAs in specific regions and how we stand out amongst other alternatives.”
Protecting Locked-In Rates While Shifting to Alternatives
Jax Zheng, Director of Strategic Partnerships: “Shippers want to move away from traditional carriers, but are afraid of moving volume because they don’t want to lose their locked-in rates. I met with 4-5 consulting and advisory companies that analyze alternative carriers and volume distribution so shippers can keep their rates locked in with major providers. One key will be operational consistency so shippers feel confident shifting volume over.”
After years of upheaval from the pandemic, global conflict, political tension and the rapid rise of AI, today’s supply chain leaders need systems that can adapt in real time. Strategy and technology are no longer things you review once a year. Still, disruption doesn’t mean reacting to every signal. Smart strategy is about knowing when to move and when to wait.