As we enter the final stretch of 2025, many companies are busy planning for the year ahead. But to quote former United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, how do you plan for the “unknown unknowns”? That is, how do you plan for the things you don’t know you don’t know?
It’s a question many supply chain and logistics executives are asking themselves as we head into 2026.
The answer is simple: you can’t plan for the things you don’t know you don’t know.
But you can build flexibility, visibility, and collaboration into your supply chain so that when the unexpected happens, you can respond quickly and intelligently. That’s why leading companies are shifting their mindset from forecast-and-plan to sense-and-respond.
You can’t plan for what you don’t know, but you can plan to be ready. The most resilient supply chains are built on continuous planning that blends real-time data, collaboration, and scenario analysis so that plans evolve as conditions change.
You can’t plan for the things you don’t know, but you can surround yourself with people and partners who help you see more and act faster. No single company has perfect visibility or knowledge, but together, they can share early signals, benchmark performance, and collaborate to navigate disruption.
As you plan for 2026, ask yourself: How quickly can we sense and respond to a disruption? How connected are we to our trading partners? How modern and adaptable are our systems and processes? The unknown unknowns will keep coming. The only real plan is to build a supply chain capable of thriving in uncertainty.
Food for thought as you huddle together to figure out what to do in 2026.
The Quarter in Review
In case you missed them the first time around or want to read/view them again, check out the top posts and new episodes from the third quarter of 2025. After reading/watching them, share this post with your colleagues and social media followers, then post a comment and share your perspective on these topics!
Top Posts
- What the World Needs Now: Another TMS?
- Freight Fraud Is Booming. So Is the Market to Stop It
- Europe’s Truck Driver Shortage: What’s Driving It — and How Logistics Leaders Are Responding
- Can AI-powered Logistics Tech Transform the CPG Supply Chain?
- Steering AI Adoption in Logistics: Why Building on Your Existing Tech Stack Is Key
- A Pulse on Supply Chain Planning
- AI Innovations in Global Trade Intelligence Technology
- The Future is Always-On: Orchestrating Intelligence Logistics at Scale
- The Untapped Value of Rail and Barge Transportation in Modern Supply Chains
- AI in Logistics: Already Here, Just Not Evenly Distributed
New Episodes
- AI Innovations In Global Trade Intelligence Technology
- Why Shippers Are Insourcing Transportation Management
- What is the State of AI in Logistics?
Indago Research Reports
This quarter we completed six research surveys and donated a total of $650 to Breakthrough T1D, American Logistics Aid Network, American Cancer Society, Feeding America, and Make-A-Wish.
- AI Agents in Transportation Management (August 2025): This survey asked about: (1) which logistics activities are best suited for agent-led autonomy, (2) the benefits you expect, (3) the level of autonomy you’re comfortable with, and (4) how you prefer to interact with an AI-enabled transportation management system (TMS).
- How Ready Is Your Supply Chain for ESG Regulations? (August 2025): This survey explored how companies are prioritizing ESG compliance, the progress they’ve made, and the obstacles they still face.
- Using Robots to Load/Unload Trucks (July 2025): This survey sought to understand industry readiness, key challenges, and opportunities associated with using robots to load or unload trucks.
- How Modern Is Your Freight Procurement Process? (July 2025): This survey was designed to better understand the current state of freight procurement — how shippers source capacity, use data, and manage the end-to-end process from planning to award.
- Improving Shipper-Carrier Relationships (July 2025): This survey explored the current state of shipper-carrier relationships: How well are they working? Where are the biggest pain points? What actions can improve trust, performance, and alignment in the months ahead?
If you’re a supply chain or logistics practitioner from a manufacturing, retail, or distribution company, I encourage you to learn more about Indago and join our research community. It is confidential, there is no cost to join and the time commitment is minimal (2-4 minutes per week) — plus your participation will help support charitable causes that need our help today more than ever.
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