Editor’s note: This story is part of a series highlighting takeaways from the Supply Chain Outlook event hosted by Packaging Dive, Supply Chain Dive, Manufacturing Dive and Trucking Dive. Register here to watch a replay of the event.
As advanced technologies become less expensive, smart supply chains that offer real-time visibility and insights for manufacturers and industrial operators are becoming more of a business requirement than a luxury, according to experts.
“I’m talking about a supply chain that’s always on, always thinking, always connected, knows where everything’s at,” Adam Wiseman, senior director of distribution strategy at GE Appliances, said at a virtual event hosted by Supply Chain Dive on Wednesday.
He and Marc Palazzolo, principal of strategic operations at Kearney, discussed how companies are rewiring their supply chains to be future-proof with a focus on resiliency and efficiency at Supply Chain Outlook: Trends and Risks to Watch in 2026. The panel was moderated by Reporter Antone Gonsalves.
With an “always-on” supply chain, GE Appliances can monitor every purchase order and piece of inventory no matter where it is in the production or delivery process, Wiseman said. That level of visibility accelerates the company’s ability to make decisions, investments and take risks, he added.
“Knowing where everything’s at at all times is table stakes these days,” Wiseman said. “Because otherwise, the world moves too fast.”
Many companies are moving forward with their digital transformations to be in a better position to adopt artificial intelligence, but they are at varying stages of their journeys.
According to a recent study from Kearney and Amazon Web Services, about 67% of companies have started their supply chain transformations over the past 12 months, up from more than 50% reported last year. But the study found only 10% have hit their top three strategic targets so far.
Palazzolo, who works closely with companies making these transitions, said the results vary depending on how digitally native they are from the start. Companies with a large in-house technology department have a leg up and are very close to achieving real-time visibility into their operations, he said. Some are even dialing up the amount of autonomy they give to agents.
On the other end of the spectrum, he said many are not ready yet, but “that doesn’t mean that they’re doomed.”
“It’s a very wide range, but all of my clients are on that journey,” Palazzolo said. “Everybody is hungry for that and working towards that kind of north star.”
One of the biggest challenges has been the high cost of adoption, deployment and integration. However, the barrier to entry is lowering as the technology becomes more cost-effective and accessible, Palazzolo said. There are also newer startups coming up that can evaluate, cleanse and orchestrate company data from different systems, making the transition easier to attain, he said.
“I think it’s within reach for a lot more people than maybe it used to be,” Wiseman said.
Patience is key when making autonomous investments. Some of the more transformational companies are making “bold, strategic bets” that may not pay off for the next five or ten years, Palazzolo said. They also have C-suite- level commitments to automation that permeate across the enterprise and culture, he said.
On the other hand, those who have an autonomous mobile robot, or AMR, in one building or a loose plan that only a few people are using, miss the mark.
For GE Appliances, it’s about future-proofing the business and integrating autonomous vehicles and decision making where it makes sense, Wiseman said. For example, the company has autonomous trucks making 1-mile deliveries between factories and warehouses in Tennessee. Despite the short distance, he said there’s value in building in-house expertise and departments dedicated to robotics for the long-term.
“It’s about knowing where we’re going,” Wiseman said.
