Enterprises are increasing their reliance on supply chain planning (SCP) platforms to forecast and respond to changing business conditions as AI accelerates the evolution to more agile, data-driven supply chain operations, according to new research from Information Services Group (ISG).
ISG’s 2026 buyer’s guides for supply chain planning provide the rankings and ratings of 27 software providers and their products for optimizing the flow of goods, materials and related services from suppliers to customers. The series includes buyer’s guides focused on products for retail enterprises and midsize firms, as well as platforms for sales and operations planning. The research finds that SCP software has become more vital as companies move from periodic to continuous planning to improve supply chain visibility and responsiveness.
“The fundamental supply chain challenges continue to evolve,” said Bob Krohn, ISG partner, manufacturing. “Companies need to acquire resources and components, and bring products to market, efficiently and on time. At the same time, systems for achieving these goals are changing, especially with the integration of advanced algorithms and machine learning to multiply their effectiveness.”
Globalization has extended supply chains, increasing the risk of disruptions and driving the adoption of more sophisticated systems for identifying risks, examining alternatives and coordinating decisions. The latest wave of advancements allows companies to process and integrate data in near real time, enabling faster decision-making and continuous planning for more agile operations. Generative AI and AI agents are accelerating this trend by increasing the speed and quality of analysis while reducing manual effort.
Using real-time data handling and analysis, SCP software can now model the impact of changing business conditions by simulating scenarios for which organizations can prepare contingency plans. Coordinating the planning activities of sales, operations, procurement and other organizations is another core function of SCP platforms, because decisions made in one area can affect other functions. AI is automating repetitive planning activities and improving cross-functional coordination, reducing the time required to reconcile supply and demand objectives.
By providing natural language interfaces to SCP software, AI may provide greater access to data, reducing the time employees spend gathering information so they can generate analyses more quickly. AI advancements should eventually lead to event-driven analysis and recommendations that trigger actions before disruptions affect business results.
Most organizations will introduce AI into supply chain processes gradually, starting with lower-risk planning activities and progressing to decision support and automation. Those that establish strong practices around data capture, orchestration and management will be better able to take advantage of AI capabilities. Companies should carefully assess how providers maintain transparency, control and business accountability as they embed AI into planning workflows, ISG says.
“Enterprises that integrate AI into supply chain planning will see an escalating impact on business outcomes through the rest of this decade,” said David Menninger, executive director and distinguished analyst, ISG. “Any company with even a moderately complex supply chain should start building a road map to using AI agents in their planning process.”
