The Hackett Group’s 2026 Supply Chain Key Issues Study surveyed supply chain executives across industries and found that cost-efficiency remains the top priority for the third consecutive year, while digital transformation surged from fifth to second place. This shift underscores the growing recognition that sustainable cost improvements depend on modernizing platforms, processes and data.

AI deployment is most advanced in analytics-intensive, data-rich functions: 83% of organizations have piloted or implemented AI in supply chain intelligence and analytics, 79% in data visualization, 74% in sales and operations planning or integrated business planning, and 72% in advanced planning and scheduling. Additionally, 67% plan network design optimization, 66% target transactional automation, 59% aim for inventory optimization and 57% will upgrade core platforms in 2026.

Scaling AI solutions faces foundational hurdles: 50% of supply chain leaders cite data quality issues, 47% point to data integration challenges, 46% highlight data privacy and regulatory concerns, and 45% identify an AI talent shortage. These constraints signal the need for targeted investments in data readiness and workforce development to achieve autonomous, AI-enabled workflows.