The Five Risks That Will Define Procurement’s Agenda in 2026

As organizations brace for another year of economic and geopolitical volatility, procurement leaders are confronting a hard truth: disruption has shifted from a temporary shock to a permanent operating reality. New research from ProcureAbility shows that 47% of leaders identify supply chain disruption as their top challenge for 2026, surpassing cost pressures, ESG mandates, and digital transformation priorities.

While supply chain disruptions have been in the spotlight for some time, the challenge has not eased. This year alone, airlines absorbed $11B in added costs tied to delays and excess inventory, which is an indicator of how expensive uncertainty has become across industries. Rather than stabilizing, global supply networks are becoming more unpredictable, more interconnected, and more costly to protect.

The disruptions leaders can no longer ignore

ProcureAbility’s latest survey highlights the five areas placing the most pressure on procurement organizations today and where leaders anticipate the greatest disruption in 2026.

Supply shortages: This year, 65% of surveyed participants reported experiencing a supply chain shortage. Examples of this are found across industries. Medical associations, for example, are on alert as persistent natural disasters trigger critical supply shortages. Compounding the challenge, two-thirds of U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities operate in disaster-prone regions, leaving supply chains highly vulnerable.
Geopolitical instability: Geopolitical challenges have affected 57% of procurement respondents. With globally interconnected supply networks, conflicts far from home have immediate impacts. After Houthi rebels attacked shipping vessels in late 2023, shippers have stayed out of the Red Sea, and Suez Canal traffic has dropped 60%. The shift away from these routes stretches shipping timelines and stresses ports. The Israel-Iran conflict in June 2025 also raised oil and gas prices, which in turn raises product costs.
Regulatory changes: Tariffs topped the regulatory challenges list this year, with 54% citing them as a key concern. Many critical goods, including construction materials, consumer electronics, automotive parts, meat and dairy, energy resources, medical supplies, and paper and plastics, remain available but economically impractical due to shifting tariffs. Alarmingly, 97% of respondents say their organizations are only somewhat effective (or worse) at navigating these changes, leaving significant value on the table.
Talent shortages: More than half of respondents (52%) faced supply chain talent shortages. Manufacturing, robotics, AI, and other emerging skill areas are experiencing significant gaps, further intensified by an aging workforce. The trucking industry’s ongoing driver shortage and recently delayed federal onboarding processes adds further strain.
Inflation: About one-third of respondents saw their operations impacted by inflation. Even as inflation cools, its legacy effects continue to compress budgets and complicate long-term sourcing strategies.

Procurement must shift from response to prediction

Taken together, these risks reveal a clear trend: procurement can no longer afford to operate reactively. To stay ahead of disruption, teams must work in lockstep with the broader supply chain to anticipate issues before they escalate. The complexity and speed of today’s challenges demand a new operating approach. Executives are increasingly focused on:

Cross-functional risk visibility that links procurement, supply chain, and finance
AI-powered monitoring to track supplier viability and geopolitical shifts in real time
Advanced forecasting to predict demand, supply continuity and inventory risks

Technology-enabled prediction is the new competitive edge. “Risk monitoring through AI will give us the ability to continuously assess supplier performance, the state of the market, market risks, and geopolitical conditions,” explained one leader in the study. As 2026 approaches, the organizations that will outperform are those that embed resilience and foresight into their decision-making. Leaders who invest now in predictive intelligence and integrated planning will reduce the cost of volatility and position their organizations to thrive in an uncertain world.

For deeper insights and recommendations, explore ProcureAbility’s benchmarking study, “The State of Procurement in H2 2025.”