Freight News, Logistics


Flexibility, not cost to shape supply chains, says DP World report

[ October 5, 2026   //   ]

Supply chain leaders are redesigning their networks to give greater choice and flexibility, as resilience becomes a competitive advantage, according to new research from DP World’s Global Trade Observatory. 

A survey of 103 chief supply chain officers in 14 markets and nine industries found that 84% saw resilience and optionality overtaking cost reduction as the primary drivers of supply-chain strategy.

Some 71% of businesses plan to diversify their supplier base over the next 12 months, with CSCOs also considering changes across inventory, production locations and sourcing as they seek to preserve room to manoeuvre when conditions change.

The report describes this shift from designing supply chains primarily around cost and efficiency towards creating viable alternatives that businesses can call upon as trade rules, tariffs, demand and geopolitical conditions change.

DP World group chief executive Yuvraj Narayan,said: “Global trade is not standing still, and neither are the supply chains that underpin it. Businesses are responding to uncertainty not by retreating from growth, but by creating more choices about where they source, how they move goods and how they reach customers.

“The role of the chief supply chain officer is changing with that environment. Supply-chain decisions increasingly shape where a business can grow, how quickly it can enter new markets and how effectively it can respond when circumstances change. The opportunity is to build networks that combine efficiency with flexibility – giving businesses the options, visibility and connectivity they need to keep growing through uncertainty.”

The report also found that 93% of CSCOs said their role in driving business growth has become more central over the past three years, while the research shows supply-chain leaders increasingly contributing to decisions around market entry, investment and risk.

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