Why Only 23% of Supply Chains Are AI-Ready: Strategic Insights

At Gain Consulting, we empower U.S. shippers to build resilient, future-ready supply chains through strategic technology adoption. A June 11, 2025, Gartner survey, reported by 24/7 Staff, reveals that only 23% of supply chain leaders have a formal artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, with most focusing on short-term gains rather than long-term scalability. This myopic approach risks creating inefficient systems and stifling growth, particularly in the fast-evolving logistics sector. This blog post analyzes Gartner’s findings, explores the implications for U.S. shippers, and offers actionable strategies to develop a robust AI strategy that drives efficiency, innovation, and transformation in 2025.

Key Findings from Gartner’s AI Survey

Gartner’s survey of 120 supply chain leaders who used AI in the past year highlights a critical gap in strategic AI adoption:

• Low Strategic Adoption: Only 23% of supply chain leaders have a formal AI strategy, with the majority pursuing project-by-project investments focused on quick wins, such as cost savings and speed improvements.

• Short-Term Focus Risks: Benjamin Jury, Senior Principal at Gartner’s Supply Chain practice, warns that pressure for short-term ROI leads to “franken-systems”—disjointed, patchwork technologies that are hard to scale and hinder future progress.

• Narrow Success Metrics: Most leaders measure AI success through cost savings and operational speed, sidelining metrics like innovation and revenue growth, limiting AI’s potential to transform supply chains.

• Strategic Recommendations: Gartner advocates for a “Run-Grow-Transform” model:

  • Run: Optimize efficiency and reduce costs with AI.

  • Grow: Enhance decision-making and collaboration across teams.

  • Transform: Leverage AI to drive business growth and better align with customer demand.

• System Readiness: Companies must align with IT leaders to ensure AI tools are scalable and adaptable to future needs, avoiding fragmented systems.

Key Takeaway: The majority of supply chains lack a cohesive AI strategy, risking scalability and innovation by prioritizing short-term gains over long-term transformation.

Contextual Factors Shaping AI Adoption

Several industry trends and challenges, informed by Gartner’s survey and broader logistics developments, explain the slow adoption of comprehensive AI strategies:

1. Pressure for Quick ROI: Supply chain leaders face intense pressure to justify AI investments with immediate results, as noted by Jury. This is amplified by economic uncertainty and rising costs, with diesel prices at $3.50 per gallon in May 2025 (per BTS) and labor shortages persisting (BLS, May 2025).

2. Fragmented Technology Systems: Many supply chains rely on legacy systems, creating integration challenges for AI tools. Supply Chain Dive reports that 60% of logistics firms struggle with disjointed tech stacks, leading to Gartner’s “franken-systems.”

3. E-Commerce and Customer Demands: The FedEx 2025 E-Commerce Trends Report highlights that 76% of shoppers expect real-time delivery updates, pushing shippers to adopt AI for visibility and forecasting. However, without a strategy, these tools often remain siloed.

4. Competitive AI Use Cases: Companies like Amazon use AI to optimize delivery routes and reduce delays (24/7 Staff, June 2025), while Five Below leverages Invent.ai for forecasting accuracy. These successes raise expectations but require strategic planning to replicate.

5. Talent and Resource Gaps: Implementing AI requires skilled teams and investment, but millions of manufacturing jobs remain unfilled (24/7 Staff, June 2025), limiting capacity for strategic AI deployment in supply chains.

Key Takeaway: Economic pressures, legacy systems, rising customer expectations, competitive benchmarks, and talent shortages drive the focus on short-term AI wins, underscoring the need for a structured strategy.

Implications for U.S. Shippers

The Gartner survey’s findings have significant implications for U.S. shippers, particularly those managing complex freight operations or e-commerce supply chains:

1. Scalability Risks: Without a formal AI strategy, shippers risk building franken-systems that cannot scale, leading to inefficiencies and higher long-term costs. For example, siloed AI tools for routing may conflict with inventory management systems.

2. Missed Innovation Opportunities: Focusing on cost savings over innovation limits shippers’ ability to leverage AI for demand forecasting, dynamic pricing, or customer personalization, reducing competitiveness in a market where 68% of consumers demand tailored experiences (FedEx).

3. Operational Inefficiencies: Project-by-project AI adoption creates redundancies and integration challenges, slowing processes like last-mile delivery or customs clearance, critical for international shippers facing new fees like UPS’s $12 ICOD fee (June 2025).

4. Customer Experience Gaps: AI-driven visibility and forecasting are essential to meet e-commerce demands, but fragmented systems hinder real-time tracking, risking customer dissatisfaction and lost sales.

5. Investment Misalignment: Prioritizing short-term ROI may divert resources from transformative AI projects, such as predictive analytics for port congestion (BTS Port Performance Report, 2025), limiting resilience in volatile markets.

Key Takeaway: U.S. shippers face scalability issues, missed innovation, inefficiencies, customer experience risks, and misaligned investments without a formal AI strategy, threatening long-term growth.

Strategic Recommendations for U.S. Shippers

To overcome AI adoption challenges and build a future-ready supply chain, Gain Consulting recommends the following strategies, aligned with Gartner’s “Run-Grow-Transform” model:

1. Develop a Formal AI Strategy:

   • Create a roadmap prioritizing short-term wins (e.g., cost reduction) and long-term transformation (e.g., demand forecasting). Engage stakeholders to align AI goals with business objectives.

   • Follow Gartner’s advice to measure success beyond cost savings, including innovation and revenue growth metrics.

   *Implement the Run-Grow-Transform Model:

   • Run: Deploy AI for immediate efficiency, such as optimizing trucking routes using tools to leverage 8.5% lower diesel prices (BTS, May 2025).

   • Grow: Use AI to enhance decision-making for forecasting accuracy, improving collaboration across teams.

   • Transform: Invest in AI to predict customer demand and personalize services, drawing inspiration from Amazon’s delivery optimization (24/7 Staff).

2. Ensure System Scalability:

   • Partner with IT leaders to modernize legacy systems, ensuring compatibility with AI tools to integrate routing, tracking, and inventory management.

   • Avoid “franken-systems” by adopting scalable solutions like cloud-based TMS or API-driven AI platforms.

3. Invest in Talent and Training:

   • Address talent gaps by training staff on AI tools or hiring specialists, as millions of manufacturing jobs go unfilled (24/7 Staff). Partner with Gain Consulting to access AI expertise.

   • Foster a culture of innovation to support long-term AI adoption.

4. Enhance Customer Experience:

   • Use AI for real-time tracking and delivery updates to meet 76% of shoppers’ expectations (FedEx). Integrate with e-commerce platforms like Shopify for seamless visibility.

   • Leverage predictive analytics to anticipate demand shifts, reducing stockouts and improving satisfaction.

5. Mitigate Operational Risks:

   • Use AI to address supply chain disruptions, such as port congestion (BTS, 2025), by forecasting delays and rerouting freight.

   • Streamline international shipping with AI-driven customs compliance tools to avoid fees like UPS’s $12 ICOD (DC Velocity, June 2025).

6. Balance Short- and Long-Term Investments:

   • Allocate budgets for quick wins (e.g., automated invoicing) and transformative projects (e.g., AI-driven demand planning). Use analytics to track ROI across both.

   • Benchmark against leaders like Five Below to prioritize high-impact AI use cases.

7. Collaborate with 3PL Partners:

   • Work with Gain Consulting to develop and implement an AI strategy, leveraging our expertise in TMS, forecasting, and compliance solutions.

   • Access our scalable AI tools and carrier networks to enhance efficiency and resilience.

Key Takeaway: Shippers can build AI-ready supply chains by developing a formal strategy, adopting the Run-Grow-Transform model, ensuring scalability, investing in talent, enhancing customer experience, mitigating risks, balancing investments, and partnering with 3PLs.

How Gain Consulting Can Help

Gain Consulting is your trusted partner in harnessing AI to transform your supply chain in 2025. Our tailored solutions address Gartner’s findings and empower U.S. shippers to achieve long-term success:

• AI Strategy Development: Craft a roadmap aligning short-term wins with transformative goals, using the Run-Grow-Transform model.

• Technology Integration: Deploy scalable TMS and AI tools to optimize routing, forecasting, and visibility.

• Customer Experience Solutions: Implement real-time tracking and predictive analytics to meet e-commerce demands.

• Risk Mitigation: Use AI to navigate disruptions, from port congestion to customs fees, ensuring compliance and efficiency.

• Cost and ROI Optimization: Balance investments for immediate savings and long-term growth, tracking ROI with advanced analytics.

Gartner’s survey underscores that only 23% of supply chains are AI-ready, but with a strategic approach, U.S. shippers can unlock AI’s full potential. Partner with Gain Consulting to build a scalable, innovative supply chain that thrives in 2025’s competitive landscape.

Contact Gain Consulting today to develop your AI strategy and drive transformative growth.

Sources: 24/7 Staff, “Gartner: Only 23% of Supply Chains Have a Real AI Strategy in Place,” June 11, 2025; FedEx 2025 E-Commerce Trends Report, February 18, 2025; Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Motor Fuel Prices, June 3, 2025; Supply Chain Dive, AI Adoption Challenges, 2025; DC Velocity, UPS ICOD Fee Analysis, June 2025; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, May 2025; Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Port Performance Freight Statistics Program: 2025 Annual Report.