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Growing granularity
Customers won’ t just ask what materials a product contains. They will want to know:
■ Where did each material originate
■ How it was processed
■ Environmental and social risks associated with each tier of the supply chain
■ Emissions tied to specific components or activities This level of detail will require ongoing supplier engagement, robust supplier training, and structured workflows for data verification.
Increasing urgency
Procurement cycles are tightening. Manufacturers will need to have supplier data on hand before customer requests arise, not weeks after the fact. This means:
■ Continuously maintaining supplier profiles
■ Providing real-time visibility into compliance and sustainability information
■ Scheduling automated alerts for emerging regulators or market risks
Emphasis on proof
Self-declarations will no longer be enough. Customers will expect evidence such as certifications, corporate policies, audit reports, and third-party documentation to be embedded in compliance submissions.
In 2026, manufacturers that do not provide this transparency may damage customer trust and lose out to competitors with the necessary data ready.
The role of AI: efficient, scalable data models
Most manufacturers already struggle to keep up with demand, managing unstructured documents, inconsistent supplier inputs, and time-consuming workflows. In 2026, leading companies will use AI to help them:
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