Manufacturing logistics and procurement – June 2025

Change in operations and supply chains with the geopolitical volatility
According to a report by ISM, US economic activity will be flat through 2025. ISM projects a 0.1% manufacturing revenue increase for 2025, down from a 4.2% expectation in December. Tariffs and trade-policy uncertainties since the Trump administration took power in January have shrunk capital investment enthusiasm. Prices have continued to rise; revenues and employment are also projected to be sluggish.
An ING article dives into the diverging strategies that are emerging as geopolitical risks rise in food & agri. Geopolitics feature more prominently on the list of ‘known unknowns’ of food & agri companies. In some respects, companies are making different decisions, like keeping higher inventories. When looking ahead, more focus on food security combined with less rule stability, increased protectionism, and more frequent extreme weather events implies that more unexpected challenges will arise.
PwC has conducted a survey on how supply chain leaders can guide the change in operations and supply chains with the geopolitical volatility, surging costs and other disruptions. 91% say they will significantly change strategies because of US trade policy changes. 57% have integrated AI into selected functions or throughout their organisation. 92% say tech investments have not fully delivered the expected results.

Supply chain development priorities
According to Packaging World's Annual Outlook Report, digitalisation at CPGs has proceeded in a specific order. It began by revolutionising supply chain optimisation and demand planning via ERP, cutting costs and optimising business practices. Digitalisation is now underway on the manufacturing side, with processing seeing early benefits and packaging primed to be next. You can download the report after filling in your details.
Key strategic priorities for supply chain leaders are implementing new technology (51%), improving efficiency and productivity (40%) and building more resilient supply chains (29%). These are findings of a report (12.6 MB) by Blue Yonder.
According to a survey from Gartner, just 23% of supply chain leaders report having a formal supply chain AI strategy in place within their organisations. Driven by pressures to demonstrate return-on-investment (ROI) in the near-term, chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) may be jeopardising the full potential for long-term AI transformation within their functions.

Raising concerns for cybersecurity in supply chain
A Thales report reveals a critical inflection point in global cybersecurity. As the threat landscape grows more complex and hostile, the rapid adoption of generative AI is amplifying both opportunity and risk. While GenAI promises powerful gains, rushed deployments are outpacing security readiness, leaving sensitive data increasingly vulnerable. With most security teams still navigating unfamiliar GenAI architectures, prioritising data protection is urgent. This year’s report underscores a clear mandate: organisations must refocus their security strategies around the data they collect, process, and safeguard on behalf of customers and stakeholders. You can download the report after filling in your details.
 

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