ROADMAP TO UP AHEAD: BIGGEST BUZZWORDS
Autonomy will be a defining buzzword. By then, automation is expected to handle the majority of transactional tasks across the supply chain. The most critical functions, such as customer engagement and strategic decision-making, will still rely on skilled professionals. Customers will expect seamless digital execution that combines advanced technology with human insight, adaptability, and high-touch service. FRANK GRANIERI , Chief Commercial Ocer, A. Duie Pyle
Self-steering supply chains. It’ll be splashed across conference decks, but only a few companies will truly operate this way. Real self-steering means systems simulating continuously, surfacing decisions with clear trade-os and taking action long before a meeting could be scheduled. Planners stay in control and the routine chaos never reaches them. JEFF METERSKY , SVP of Strategy & Innovation, GAINSystems
Right now. Supply chain has traditionally been a heavily planned, rather rigid annual activity. The pandemic accelerated our expectations, moving us from next-day delivery to two- hour windows. By 2030, the evolution of expectations will reach an instantaneous state of right now . The expectation for everything will be right now —immediate fulfillment driven by ultra-responsive, autonomous systems. AMOD DAMLE , Head of Product, FORT Robotics
Autonomous orchestration —the idea that networks can self-adjust to risk, cost, and service signals with minimal human intervention. MICHELE MCGINNIS , CEO, Mikargo247
92 Inbound Logistics • January 2026
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