Descartes Study Reveals 74% of Supply Chain Leaders View Technology as Crucial for Growth Amid Global Trade Challenges

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Descartes Systems Group, a leader in integrating businesses with logistics-intensive operations worldwide, unveiled results from its research titled “What Companies are Doing to Tackle Escalating Global Supply Chain Challenges.” The research highlights that 74% of surveyed leaders in supply chain and logistics consider technology crucial or very crucial to their organization’s expansion strategy amid increasing global trade complexities, including tariffs, disruptions, and geopolitical tensions. This percentage rises to 88% among companies anticipating more than 15% growth within the next two years. Additionally, 59% of respondents see technology as highly or extremely important for securing a competitive edge in international commerce.

The study also identifies specific technological capabilities deemed essential for fostering business growth and securing market advantages in global trade. Of these, 36% of respondents recognized global trade intelligence as the primary tool expected to offer the most value in the forthcoming two years. This preference was followed by global trade analytics and supply chain mapping, noted by 27% and 26% of participants, respectively.

Furthermore, the findings indicate a consensus across various industries on the significant value of global trade intelligence over the next two years. This includes sectors such as manufacturing (40%), wholesale and distribution (44%), finance and insurance (38%), and retail (30%).

“For companies in diverse industries, global trade has become much more complex, with many new challenges to traditional business operations,” said Jackson Wood, Director, Industry Strategy at Descartes. “As businesses contend with tariffs and trade barriers, geopolitical instability, supply chain disruptions and compliance requirements, technology tools can help them build greater agility and resilience into their supply chains to compete more effectively.”

Conducted in collaboration with SAPIO Research, the survey included 978 leaders in supply chain intelligence from major trading countries in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. The objective was to gather insights on the strategies, practices, and technologies that organizations engaged in international trade are adopting to maintain competitive advantages and sustain business growth. The survey participants range from management-level executives to CEOs and business owners.

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