Partnership is imperative to success
Executives across industries are facing more complex problems, many for the first time. To make matters more complicated, the issues are compounding faster than ever. Unfortunately, we didn't get any indication that this trend is going to slow down for 2026. But, one promising solution stood out: partnerships.
We saw partnerships working in two important ways. Both were on display during the Blue Yonder Big Ideas session featuring Fabletics and REI. Both companies shared how data transparency had supercharged the functions within their supply chain. By ensuring all workers across the supply chain could access the same data at the same time, both REI and Fabletics unlocked new levels of collaboration, proactive decision-making, and efficiency within their organization.
Both companies also leaned on Blue Yonder as a partner throughout the adoption process and as new use cases emerged. This partnership, between solution companies and their customers, isn’t new. However, in 2026 it will likely move from a luxury to a critical part of success. Technology partners who know exactly what matters to your business, who understand the nuances of your daily decisions, and the product features that can make your business more resilient to uncertainty will make a huge difference in performance this year.
Technology companies and their customers should look for ways to communicate more openly so their collaboration can add consistent value to both sides.
No opportunity is too small for supply chain efficiency
If 2025 was the year for big ideas and comprehensive change, 2026 is the year of refining the new processes and operations. Supply chain executives know that we are living in a defining moment where anything can change in an instant. They also know a complete overhaul is impossible if they want to continue to run a profitable business.
As such, companies are focused on making small, consistent changes over time. One Chief Merchandising Officer talked about the increasing demands from customers. They needed a way to maintain and exceed customer expectations. They wanted a way to be hyper-reactive and adaptive to their customers, because, ultimately, that’s the only way to win.
Rather than thinking big, the company focused on small wins, simple strategies for obvious obstacles, and which choices made the biggest impact. Similar to the expressed focus on agentic AI, this shift to smaller strategies show that everyone agrees that what worked in the past won’t be sustainable in the future. Companies are taking advantage of every opportunity, no matter how small, to update their workflows and build more resilient supply chains.
Customer obsession is very real for all companies
Finally, the most obvious trend is companies’ continued obsession with their customers. Whether they’re building out more robust omnichannel experiences or finding new ways to increase delivery speeds, almost every speaker emphasized keeping the customers’ needs at the center of all their decisions.
The weight of an exceptional customer experience isn’t new, but what is shifting is who is thinking about ways to improve it. In previous decades, only those in executive positions, or employees on the retail floor, considered new ways to serve the customer. Those employees in the middle of the supply chain focused on other priorities. But as silos throughout the supply chain break down and more collaboration happens, more workers will think about how their daily job affects the end customer.
Much like the rest of the conference, the main takeaway from discussions surrounding customer experience was: think big, execute with specific actions, and work together to delight customers. It sounds like a winning strategy to us.
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