______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Predictions
■ Extract compliance data from certifications, SDSs, audit reports, and supplier documents
■ Identify missing data fields or inconsistencies
■ Automatically categorize evidence and assign risk scores
■ Guide supplier submission processes
■ Simplify document preparation
■ Provide real-time feedback A hybrid approach, where AI handles volume and people handle nuance, will dramatically improve response times and data quality.
Resilient and agile supply chain systems
Transparency demands won’ t decline after 2026. Instead, they’ ll continue to increase in complexity. To keep up, manufacturers must invest in systems that enhance visibility, flexibility and responsiveness.
The most competitive manufacturers will map their supply chains far beyond the first tier, capturing data from upstream suppliers and raw materials providers for complete transparency. This enables early detection of compliance risks and documented transparency across the entire supply chain. Manufacturers will also shift toward unified, intelligent platforms that centralize:
■ Supplier profiles
■ Compliance documents
■ Sustainability data
■ Risk scores and remediation workflows
■ Audit trails and customer reporting outputs These platforms will create a single source of truth, replacing disconnected spreadsheets, reducing errors and improving traceability.
Predictions for 2026: what manufacturers must do now
Looking ahead, global manufacturers that want to succeed in a transparency-driven market need to take decisive action. In 2026, the most advanced companies will:
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