Kinaxis announced the findings of new independent research from IDC. The IDC infobrief, “Making Supply Chain AI Accountable,” sponsored by Kinaxis, reveals a growing chasm between organizations’ aggressive ambitions for autonomous AI adoption and their readiness to hold these advanced systems, underscoring the need for a disciplined approach to AI investment and deployment to prevent costly failures and deliver measurable business value.
What This Means for Supply Chain Leaders
The IDC infobrief, which surveyed more than 2,000 supply chain leaders across nine global markets, found that while AI adoption is nearly universal, only 2% of respondents report no AI-enabled capabilities, and just 12% consider themselves AI leaders. Over half (52%) cite trust in AI-driven decisions as a top barrier to faster adoption, and just 12% say AI planning governance is fully embedded within their operations.
The research also points to a sharp acceleration in expectations for autonomous decision-making: just 6% of respondents describe their supply chains as autonomous at scale today, but 41% expect that to become their core operating model within one to two years, even though only 1 in 8 organizations has governance fully embedded to support it. This is the central challenge facing the industry.
Key Findings of the IDC Infobrief: Making Supply Chain AI Accountable
- Adoption is broad, leadership is rare: Only 12% of respondents describe themselves as AI leaders, despite broad deployment of AI capabilities.
- Trust is the No. 1 barrier: Fifty-two percent cite trust in AI-driven decisions as a top barrier to faster adoption.
- Value must be proven: Sixty-two percent say better data quality and integration would accelerate investment; 51% want clear return on investment (ROI) and time to value.
- Ambition outpaces governance: Autonomous-at-scale jumps from 6% today to an expected 41% in one to two years, but only 12% have governance fully embedded.
- Accountability tops the agenda: Sixty-seven percent say accountability for AI-driven outcomes will require the most governance change.
- Roles will shift, not shrink: Seventy-nine percent see AI as an opportunity rather than a threat, and believe partnering AI with supply chain depth will win.
