Gartner: J&J Supply Chain’s Resource Orchestration Awarded

The 2026 Rankings of the Global Supply Chain Top 25 has awarded Johnson & Johnson with ninth place overall in Gartner's listing.  

Making the top 10 in these rankings amid mass global disruption is no small ask. Our logistics networks are being tested more than ever before, with geopolitical factors seeing tariff changes, marine chokepoints and price increases.

Having a resilient supply base is more important than ever before. This operational resilience has been demonstrated by Johnson & Johnson, according to the latest Gartner rankings.

Why Johnson & Johnson’s supply chain scores a Top 10 spot

In its full report, which celebrates leading supply chains and highlights the trends driving performance, Gartner notes that Johnson & Johnson’s supply chain utilised “end-to-end resource orchestration”, having “built a strong, resilient supply base by integrating its suppliers as an expansion of their network and capabilities”.

End-to-end is a clear focus for Johnson & Johnson. Its Transcend programme is focusing on transforming its end-to-end business processes, aiming to strengthen technical reliability while ensuring a high-quality supply chain for medicines.

One way it will be looking to do this is to modernise its foundational transactional processes and harmonise them into one “clean” ERP as a standardised platform for growth and efficiency gains.

Looking ahead, the programme is seeking to remediate the end-of-life system exposure that we risk towards the end of this decade.

AI and supply chain integration

AI innovation was also celebrated during these annual rankings. Johnson & Johnson has been utilising an AI-powered digital assistant to assist the MedTech manufacturing business. It has reduced the need for human intervention by 70%, which as a result has freed up teams to focus on strategic, patient-centric work.

Autonomous workforces were a key trend noted as a driver of success among the leading global supply chains. Entering an era of autonomous working, Gartner says that “leading organisations are reimagining work for a future in which people and machines operate both independently and collaboratively”.

“This year, leaders are differentiating themselves by building autonomous workforces, investing in network-centric strategies and orchestrating supply chains end-to-end across increasingly complex ecosystems,” says Laura Rainier, Senior Director Analyst with the Gartner Supply Chain practice. 

“Leading supply chains are embracing AI not simply to automate tasks, but to fundamentally redesign how work gets done between people and machines.”

Supply chain expansion

Most recently, J&J has committed to building a contact lens manufacturing plant in Jacksonville, Florida. The US$1bn investment is set to include new advanced manufacturing and packaging technologies, as well as a new state-of-the-art distribution facility, which it says will “scale the Company’s U.S. Vision operations, enhance supply chain resilience, and meet the needs of more than 40 million patients”.

This follows on from another US-focused expansion at the start of the year, when the pharma giant entered a voluntary arrangement with the Trump administration, agreeing to reduce medication costs in return for expanded domestic operations.

Network-centric strategies were another factor behind operational excellence, according to Gartner. It says: “This moment demands network strategy transformation. Incorporate the cost of turbulence and adaptability in network business cases; design for manoeuvrability and soft, low-risk integration; and pressure-test design against future scenarios.”

Make sure to secure your spot at one of the year’s biggest supply chain celebrations: The Global Supply Chain Awards 2026.

Sit down for an exclusive black-tie gala dinner with some of the biggest industry leaders and innovators, as we gather at JW Marriott Grosvenor House, London, on 8th September 2026.

There is still time to enter this year’s awards and you can also secure your spot at Supply Chain LIVE: The London Summit 2026, to learn more about the latest key industry trends.