SupplyX-Barometer: Rethinking Supply Chains – Connectivity Is Key
Hamburg, July 23, 2026 – More than ever before, supply chains are judged by their performance: They need to be efficient, resilient, flexible and adaptable. These are key findings of the 23rd SupplyX Barometer*, for which 150 logistics managers in Germany were surveyed on the topic “Rethinking Supply Chains – Perspectives, Challenges, and Responsibility.” The survey shows: 85 percent of companies continue to rate digitization as the most important trend in supply chain management. At the same time, it is clear that significant gaps still exist with regard to practical implementation.
The demands on supply chains are increasing noticeably. 81 percent of the companies surveyed report growing customer expectations regarding delivery speed, flexibility and product availability. 68 percent also see a rising need for information throughout the entire supply chain. This contrasts with a limited database: Only 33 percent of respondents have the comprehensive real-time data necessary for end-to-end control.
At the same time, there are structural hurdles: regulatory requirements (59 percent), high investment costs (56 percent), cyber risks (47 percent), and a shortage of skilled workers (46 percent) complicate the implementation of corresponding digitization strategies. “We are seeing a clear shift in perspective: The supply chain is no longer viewed exclusively as a cost factor and is becoming increasingly integrated into the actual sales process,” says Henning Goldmann, CEO SupplyX. “This also raises the bar for transparency and integration. It is crucial that supply chains are understood as an integral part of value creation and managed accordingly.”
Stable supplier relationships are crucially important
The SupplyX Barometer 2026 also shows that companies are increasingly broadening their perspective. In addition to digitization, topics such as sustainability (67 percent) and risk management (65 percent) are continuing to gain importance. Many companies are also increasingly focusing on approaches such as closer collaboration within the supply network (55 percent) or diversification (51 percent). The goal is to design supply chains not only more digital, but also broader and more interconnected. A key finding of the survey concerns measures to strengthen resilience: 90 percent of companies view building stable supplier relationships as the most important lever – no other approach achieves comparable figures. It becomes clear that resilience is not only understood as a technological challenge. Rather, the focus is shifting to the quality of collaboration along the supply chain.
No resilience without data – no impact without partners
At the same time, the role of data remains crucial. 70 percent of respondents rate intelligent data usage as an important measure for robust supply chains, while 66 percent rely on monitoring and analyzing the movement of goods. “This shows that stable partnerships and data-driven management are closely linked. Together, they form the foundation for resilient supply chains,” says Goldmann, interpreting the results. When it comes to evaluating technological levers, the findings are also equally clear. 75 percent of companies view digital collaboration with partners and customers as the most significant lever for optimizing their supply chain, ahead of traditional approaches such as automation or data platforms. At the same time, 65 percent consider end-to-end connectivity among all partners to be indispensable in the future. Among companies with 250 to 1,000 employees, this figure rises to 87 percent.
“Technology delivers its greatest value when it creates connections. A purely transactional mindset and the expectation that a higher quantity of data will automatically lead to better results fall short,” explains Goldmann. “The next step is to strategically shift responsibility within the supply chain – toward specialized logistics partners who not only execute processes but also actively manage and further develop them. It is only through this intelligent integration of data, processes, partners and responsibility that a truly high-perfor-ming and resilient supply chain emerges.”
The entire 23rd SupplyX Barometer is available for free download here (German Version).
About SupplyX
SupplyX GmbH is an independent subsidiary of the Otto Group and a leading specialist in digital logistics solutions focused on optimizing supply chain performance. With its own locations in Vietnam, Poland and the Netherlands, as well as strategic partnerships in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, the U.S. and other countries, SupplyX offers comprehensive products in the areas of procurement, cross-border logistics and strategic supply chain management. These solutions are designed for companies across various industries that want to make their goods flows more efficient and transparent.
*About the survey
Participants: 150 logistics managers
Method: Telephone survey
Survey period: March 2026