The Cost Of Outdated Supply Chain Design

Excerpt of the research report “Designing For Disruption: 2026 Trends Report" published by Alpega that highlights key trends shaping supply chains in 2026.

Dec 10, 2025

Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt of a research report published recently, “Designing For Disruption: 2026 Trends Report.” The research, conducted by Adelante SCM in collaboration with Alpega, highlights key trends that are shaping supply chains and provides recommendations for shippers, carriers, and logistics service providers on how to respond effectively. The report includes data and insights from a survey conducted with shippers, carriers, and logistics service providers (including members of Indago’s supply chain research community) and from interviews conducted with subject matter experts at various firms. Please visit the report page for more information about the research and to download the full report.

Dr. Ralf Speth, former CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, said it best:

“If you think good design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design.”

It’s clear that many of today’s supply chain challenges are design problems at their core. Most supply chains were designed for efficiency, not resiliency. They were designed for cost minimization, not sustainability. And they were built on assumptions and realities that are no longer true today.

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