Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt of a research report published recently, “Designing For Disruption: 2026 Trends Report.” The research, conducted by Adelante SCM in collaboration with Alpega, highlights key trends that are shaping supply chains and provides recommendations for shippers, carriers, and logistics service providers on how to respond effectively. The report includes data and insights from a survey conducted with shippers, carriers, and logistics service providers (including members of Indago’s supply chain research community) and from interviews conducted with subject matter experts at various firms. Please visit the report page for more information about the research and to download the full report.
Dr. Ralf Speth, former CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, said it best:
“If you think good design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design.”
It’s clear that many of today’s supply chain challenges are design problems at their core. Most supply chains were designed for efficiency, not resiliency. They were designed for cost minimization, not sustainability. And they were built on assumptions and realities that are no longer true today.
In response to the pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, tariff wars, and rising customer expectations, companies and governments alike are re-examining the risks and rewards of maintaining highly distributed global supply chains.
Traditional distribution networks, originally designed to move truckloads of products from large distribution centers to stores, are being redesigned for omnichannel fulfillment and faster delivery. Stores now serve as local fulfillment hubs, and retailers are establishing urban depots to cross-dock items from larger e-commerce centers or ship fast-moving goods directly to customers.
Perhaps nothing illustrates how much has changed more clearly than the shift from “Please allow 4–6 weeks for delivery” and paying extra for “shipping and handling” to today’s expectation of next-day (or same-day) delivery and free shipping.
As Stéphane Plovier, Senior Managing Partner at DXC Technology, explained in an interview:
“We’ve gone from predictable, stable supply chains to environments shaped by COVID, geopolitical conflicts, and volatile trade policies. It used to be simpler — you sourced from a set of suppliers, managed transportation by sea, road, or rail, and planned production and distribution accordingly. Now it’s about managing uncertainty.”
If they could, companies would start with a clean slate and redesign their supply chain networks and processes from the ground up to be more resilient, sustainable, and adaptable. They would also hit refresh on their technology stacks, replacing outdated legacy systems with modern platforms built to be flexible, configurable, and intelligent (thanks in large part to advancements in AI).
The reality, however, is that companies must redesign their supply chains while keeping them running — much like the saying, “building the plane while flying it.” Difficult, but not impossible. It’s also not optional in this era of constant disruption.
When it comes to transportation management, what capabilities do companies have to absorb a major disruption without missing cost or service targets? What adjustments are they planning for 2026 to operate more effectively in an uncertain environment? And what technology actions are they taking to modernize and improve their transportation operations?
Those are the questions we explored with both shippers and carriers, complemented by interviews with experts from Customs Support Group, Dojo Consulting Group, DXC Technology, 4Flow, Prewave, and Proxio Systems.
Together, their insights reveal a clear mandate: in a world defined by rapid change and disruption, companies must design supply chains that can bend without breaking — because, as Dr. Ralf Speth reminded us, the cost of bad design is far greater than the investment in getting it right.
5 Key Trends Shaping Supply Chains in 2026
Supply Chains Are Moving Closer to Home
Trade tensions, tariff policy shifts, and new sustainability regulations are accelerating a movement toward supply chains designed not just for cost minimization, but for speed, flexibility, and resilience too.
Multinational companies are actively reconfiguring their global networks, increasingly shifting toward regionalized supply chains. According to Nicolas Urien, Head of Global Trade Advisory at Dojo Consulting Group, this trend reflects three converging imperatives:
- Faster response to local demand
- Lower transportation costs and CO2 emissions
- Improved operational resilience amid disruption
Urien cautioned, however, that many organizations are still viewing trade decisions too narrowly: “When evaluating relocation options, the biggest hidden cost isn’t tariffs, it’s non-tariff barriers like product standards, certifications, labeling, and environmental regulations. These can represent 30-40 percent of total landed cost.”
A recent case example shared by Urien highlights the stakes. A European textile manufacturer that once relied on de minimis to sell shirts duty-free to U.S. consumers now faces significant cost exposure due to the rule changes. To remain competitive, the company is shifting to bulk imports and domestic fulfillment, restructuring its supply chain to mitigate approximately $50 million in annual duties.
Simply put, companies that move proactively to redesign their networks will be better positioned to protect margins and preserve competitiveness as volatility increases.
For insights on the other key trends that will shape supply chains in 2026 — and takeaways from the survey conducted with supply chain and logistics executives from leading manufacturing, retail, and distribution companies and a select group carriers and logistics service providers — please download the full report.
