A new survey from LeanDNA and Wakefield Research reveals strong consensus among U.S. supply chain leaders and executives on the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) in driving supply chain resilience, but also highlights differences in risk perception.
The survey of 100 C-level executives and 100 supply chain leaders found that 92 per cent of executives and all supply chain leaders agree AI-driven insights are essential for predicting and preventing disruptions. Most respondents (87 per cent of executives, 89 per cent of supply chain leaders) expect a positive return on AI and machine learning investments within one to two years, with 39 per cent of executives and 34 per cent of supply chain leaders anticipating returns even sooner.
“The C-suite and supply chain agree that supply chain professionals and business leaders expect gains from investing in AI tools, digital synchronization, and optimization. However, it also shows that they differ in what they are most concerned about if improvements are delayed,” said Andy Ellenthal, CEO of LeanDNA. “Getting in sync on the risks and reducing friction between the two groups will allow their companies to grow faster.”
The study found that executives are 60 per cent more likely than supply chain leaders to say they have already seen positive ROI or expect to within six months (24 per cent versus 15 per cent). The findings suggest that executives are increasingly prepared to push for faster AI adoption.
Beyond AI, supply chain leaders cited diversifying the supplier base (45 per cent), supply network synchronization (39 per cent) and upgrading data infrastructure (39 per cent) as key strategies for improving reliability. While 57 per cent of executives and 51 per cent of supply chain leaders report steady progress toward full digital synchronization, only about 19 per cent of executives and 18 per cent of supply chain leaders have fully achieved it.
Risk perception remains a point of divergence. While executives rank production disruptions as their top concern (53 per cent), supply chain leaders are more focused on inventory costs (53 per cent), reputational damage (53 per cent) and regulatory compliance (50 per cent).
To drive growth, companies must transition from reactive to proactive logistics planning, according to the survey. More than three-quarters of both executives (77 per cent) and supply chain leaders (78 per cent) said their organizations need to be more proactive to maximize growth, with only a small portion believing their current logistics strategies are sufficient.
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