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Are supply chains still disrupted in 2025? 401 supply chain leaders discuss disruption, pressure, and preparing for what’s next.
Between rising costs, geopolitical tensions, and trade restrictions, global supply chains are caught in what Accenture calls “a perpetual storm of disruption”, with McKinsey labelling chaos as “the norm, not the exception”. Experts clearly agree: supply chain disruptions are now a day-to-day occurrence.
But what do the people on the ground think? Is supply chain disruption still happening daily in 2025? We asked, and 401 Supply Chain leaders answered in our annual Process Optimization Report, where they told us how they’re feeling about disruption, supply chain challenges, and trends to watch.
Are supply chains still disrupted in 2025?
Surprisingly, only about half (54%) of Supply Chain leaders we spoke to said they experience disruption daily. And there are firm opinions at either end of the spectrum, with 17% strongly agreeing that disruptions are a daily occurrence, and 17% strongly disagreeing.
Responses also vary significantly by region, with Supply Chain leaders in the US, for example, far more likely to say they’re seeing daily disruptions than those in APAC countries like Australia, Japan, and South Korea. These results suggest that organizations, industries, and regions are experiencing supply chain interruptions differently.
What are the top pressures on Supply Chain leaders in 2025?
To really understand the pressures Supply Chain leaders are under, we asked them to identify their biggest challenges.
The three most cited were:
Rising freight and shipping costs
Shortages of stock and raw materials
Increasing supply chain volatility and complexity
It’s not surprising that rising freight and shipping costs come out on top. During 2024, just before survey answer collection began, the global freight rate hit the highest value on record at over $5,900.
How are Supply Chain teams dealing with disruption in 2025?
88% of Supply Chain leaders told us that, in order to deal with disruption, it’s more important than ever to focus on what can be controlled to mitigate risk.
The Supply Chain Process Optimization report reveals the top three strategies leaders are using to deal with disruption:
70% are using supply chain visibility tools such as process mining
66% are diversifying sourcing strategies so they’re less dependent on single suppliers
49% are exploring more localized production and sourcing
The focus on supply chain visibility is unsurprising — after all, it’s hard to solve a problem unless you can see it. Full visibility also makes it more straightforward to implement strategies like diversifying sourcing and exploring localized production because it allows you to see the impact that any changes to a supply chain might create.
Supply Chain leaders also trust that process optimization enhances their ability to cope with supply chain turbulence: 83% say that improving the quality of their processes can help them mitigate the impact of supply chain disruptions.
What new tools, solutions, and platforms are Supply Chain leaders using in 2025?
This push for visibility is likely why so many Supply Chain leaders have invested (or intend to invest) inprocess mining. Of all the departments we surveyed for our 2025 Process Optimization Reports – including IT, Finance and Shared Services, and Process Improvement and Operations – Supply Chain is the most likely to have already implemented process mining, with 43% currently using it, and a further 49% planning to use it in the next 12 months.
How are Supply Chain leaders using AI in 2025?
Supply Chain leaders are also making major strides in AI adoption.
Respondents cited automated inventory management as the most popular AI use case for Supply Chain departments, with demand forecasting and logistics automation not far behind. What’s more, 81% of Supply Chain leaders say they expect AI to be used to directly improve their business processes in the coming year.
What are the top obstacles to optimizing supply chain business processes?
We asked Supply Chain leaders to identify the biggest obstacles to understanding and optimizing their business processes.
The top answer? Too much time spent in “firefighting mode”.
While they know improving the quality of their process will help them mitigate supply chain disruptions, they’re too busy responding to those disruptions to focus on process improvement.
For example, 64% of Supply Chain leaders told us that environmental, social, and governance (ESG) actions are deprioritized during disruption, which prevents progress towards achieving ESG goals.
These findings suggest Supply Chain teams need to break free from their current reactive approach. Whether disruptions are ongoing or occasional, teams need a smarter way to respond. They can use Process Intelligence to gain end-to-end process understanding and proactively optimize how things are done within and across the supply chain. Implementing the Celonis Process Intelligence Platform, which is built on our market-leading process mining technology, will allow them to solve existing problems more easily and prevent new issues from arising.
Looking for more insights?
Download your free copy of the Supply Chain Edition of our 2025 Process Optimization Report to see how 401 Supply Chain leaders are breaking free of their reactive approach to supply chain disruption. You’ll discover more about the top challenges they’re facing, as well as how they’re using AI across the supply chain.
We also have special editions for:
Plus, if you want to find out how 1,620 business leaders across all these departments are pursuing productivity, profitability, and effective AI, you’ll want our main report, Making Processes Work.
Download the report —>
