Gartner: Only 23% of Supply Chains Have a Real AI Strategy in Place
Summary
A Gartner survey of 120 supply chain leaders found only 23% have a formal AI strategy. Most organisations are chasing short-term AI wins and measuring success by cost savings and speed, rather than innovation or revenue growth. Gartner warns that this patchwork, project-by-project approach can create “franken-systems” that are hard to scale and will hamper long-term progress.
The research recommends a balanced, strategic approach using a Run-Grow-Transform model: use AI to run operations efficiently, grow decision-making capabilities and team connectivity, and transform the business by unlocking new demand and revenue opportunities. Gartner also stresses close collaboration with IT to ensure AI tools can scale and adapt.
Key Points
- Only 23% of surveyed supply chain leaders have a formal AI strategy.
- Most organisations focus on short-term ROI (cost and speed) rather than innovation or growth.
- Project-by-project adoption risks creating non-scalable, fragmented “franken-systems”.
- Gartner recommends the Run-Grow-Transform framework to balance immediate gains and long-term change.
- Effective AI adoption requires collaboration with IT and attention to scalable system architecture.
- Measuring success beyond cost savings (eg revenue, innovation) is important to capture AI’s full value.
Context and Relevance
This matters because AI is poised to reshape supply chains — Gartner even predicts AI agents could handle many tasks by 2030. If organisations keep treating AI as a series of isolated pilots, they’ll miss strategic opportunities and build brittle systems that resist future improvements. The piece ties into wider trends: increasing automation in warehousing, AI-driven inventory optimisation and the push for connected, resilient supply chains.
Why should I read this?
Quick and dirty: if you work in supply chain, procurement or IT — this is worth five minutes. The headline stat (23%) is a wake-up call: lots of teams are doing cool pilots but not building something that lasts. Read it to avoid wasting budget on one-off projects that become a maintenance nightmare later.
Author style
Punchy. Short sentences. This is a practical nudge from Gartner: stop just chasing quick wins and start mapping where AI should actually take your operations in three years’ time. If you’re deciding budgets or roadmaps, the detail matters.
Source
Article Date: 11 June 2025
Original URL: https://www.supplychain247.com/article/gartner-survey-ai-strategy-gap
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