The Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 for 2025

In the rapidly evolving landscape of supply chain management, the distinction between mere automation and the transformative potential of autonomous operations is becoming increasingly pronounced. Unlike traditional automation, which focuses on isolated machines or processes, autonomous operations integrate a wide array of activities, significantly enhancing productivity across the supply chain. CEOs aren’t being hesitant when it comes to autonomous operations: According to the 2025 Gartner CEO and Senior Business Executive Survey, within 3 years we will see a shift to 100% automated systems and processes operated without human involvement across many areas:

• 38% of companies plan to use intelligent automation for logistics, distribution and or production;
• 33% want to do the same for contract management and payments; and
• 19% want to improve contract sales and negotiation using autonomous capabilities.

Autonomous operations represent a comprehensive advancement, encompassing multiple domains with capabilities such as self-monitoring, self-regulation and continuous optimization. This paradigm shift not only alleviates employees from repetitive tasks but also enhances workplace safety by minimizing human presence in hazardous environments.

By automating strategic decision making and execution processes, autonomous operations are recognized as both a substantial value creator and a risk mitigator, driving overall business performance. The application of autonomous operations spans diverse areas within the supply chain, including "lights off" production and warehousing, as well as "hands off" planning and customer services.

Companies are at various stages of this evolution, with the Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 leaders distinguished by several key capabilities:

• A comprehensive digital transformation roadmap

• The ability to sense conditions at machine, system and process levels

• Utilization of platforms to process data, ensuring autonomous decisions do not adversely affect other functions

• The capability to maintain process integrity amidst variability

As organizations continue to embrace the transformative potential of AI on the future supply chain, the next frontier of innovation is emerging in the form of agentic AI. Agentic AI introduces a new dimension of intelligence and adaptability. Unlike generative AI, which focuses on creating content like text or images from large datasets, agentic AI extends these capabilities by autonomously making decisions and executing actions to achieve its goals without constant human intervention. By integrating the creative aspects of generative AI with the problem-solving approaches of traditional AI, agentic AI is equipped to conduct complex tasks in dynamic environments, promising to deliver autonomous supply chain decision making and execution.

Many of the companies in this year’s Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 are leading the charge in adopting agentic AI, moving beyond traditional AI approaches that rely heavily on explicit human instructions. Agentic AI harnesses the capabilities of advanced machine learning, deep learning and reinforcement learning to autonomously learn from data, adapt to new information and interact dynamically with its environment. This groundbreaking advancement is distinguished by its "agency," allowing AI systems to act independently, make decisions and pursue goals based on environmental understanding. Building on the foundations of generative and traditional AI, agentic AI represents a significant evolution in the field of supply chain AI.

As leading supply chain organizations harness the power of agentic AI and autonomous operations to optimize supply chain strategy, they are simultaneously recognizing the critical importance of resource stewardship, particularly water. As water emerges as a critical component of corporate and national security, many of the companies in this year’s Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 are differentiating themselves by developing well-defined water stewardship strategies and implementing water management, water conservation and water basin redevelopment initiatives.

According to CDP, 20% of companies report significant supply chain water risks. Water's strategic significance spans various industrial sectors, impacting value chains in agriculture, manufacturing and data centers due to its roles in crop raising, production and cooling. Despite its low-cost perception compared to energy and other materials, water is often undervalued, leading to overuse and adverse effects such as pollution and water table depletion. This undervaluation can obscure its true value, resulting in inefficient consumption and management practices.

Leading companies demonstrate their leadership by integrating water considerations into strategic decisions like site selection and supply chain design. By assessing water sources and discharges, aligning water management with growth plans and risk assessments and ensuring regulatory compliance, these companies enhance their water stewardship and bolster their supply chain's operational resilience.