EFESO Survey Finds Nearly 30% of Companies Fail to Turn Supply Chain Resilience into Stronger Performance

Global study of 250 supply chain executives finds digital maturity, multi-tier visibility and continuous preparedness separate winners from the losers

HOUSTON, Sept. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EFESO Management Consultants, the leading global pure player in operations strategy and performance improvement, today announced the findings of its 2026 Global Supply Chain Survey. The study of more than 250 global supply chain executives revealed that nearly 30% of companies surveyed combine relatively high resilience maturity with lower business performance.

The findings reveal a critical resilience-to-performance gap. While many organizations have invested in supplier diversification, inventory buffers, visibility tools, and digital technologies, those investments do not automatically translate into stronger results. High-performing organizations distinguish themselves by connecting these capabilities within an integrated operating model that enables them to detect disruption earlier, make faster decisions, and respond more effectively.

The survey identifies four areas where the gap between resilience investment and business performance is most pronounced:

• Planning does not always translate into preparedness: Although 52% of organizations have a fully formalized continuity plan, only 20% conduct monthly supply chain risk assessments and just 14% regularly conduct stress tests or crisis simulations.
• Visibility remains incomplete across most supply networks: Only 31% of organizations report full visibility across their supply networks, while 43% report partial visibility. Organizations with greater transparency – particularly beyond Tier-1 suppliers – are better positioned to detect disruptions, improve forecasts, and escalate emerging risks.
• Digital maturity separates high- and lower-performing organizations: 48% of high-performing organizations have mature digital supply chain capabilities, compared with just 10% of lower-performing organizations. Real-time visibility, advanced analytics, and decision-support tools are associated with faster, higher-quality responses.
• Flexibility matters more than redundancy alone: Inventory buffers by themselves do not explain stronger performance. Leading organizations combine supplier diversification, alternative sourcing, faster capacity reallocation, cross-functional response mechanisms, and real-time decision support.

“Supply chain resilience has become a board-level priority, but resilience alone does not guarantee stronger business performance,” said Kerry Rosenhagen, Expert Director and Supply Chain Design Practice Lead of EFESO. “The next challenge is turning resilience into an operating capability that allows organizations to anticipate disruption, make faster decisions, respond effectively, and continuously adapt.”

The survey indicates that no single investment determines resilience. Instead, stronger-performing organizations connect visibility, digital capabilities, proactive risk management, supplier diversification, and governance routines into a coordinated system. Together, these capabilities allow organizations to sense emerging risks, decide quickly, respond effectively, and continuously adapt to their operations.

EFESO’s 2026 Global Supply Chain Survey is based on responses from 250 senior supply chain executives across Europe and the United States. Respondents represent major industries including Food & Beverage (30%), Automotive (24%), Chemicals (23%), and Consumer Goods (10%).

The complete research is available through EFESO’s dedicated survey webpage: https://www.efeso.com/en-americas/insights-events/global-supply-chain-survey-2026/

About EFESO Management Consultants
EFESO Management Consultants is the leading global pure player in operations strategy and performance improvement. We are committed to delivering real results, across industries. Working in tandem with global brands, mid-sized companies, and Private Equity, we drive success through 1,500+ projects annually in over 75 countries.

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