Why Supplier Networks Are Evolving Through AI

Global turbulence over the past five years has highlighted the need for supply chain transparency and visibility across every tier.

Greater transparency reduces risk, helping businesses build trust and resilience even amid market volatility.

To make connectivity and transparency easier, many companies are turning to AI tools to transform their operations.

Supplier visibility

Building a strong supplier network relies on trust and traceability throughout the entire supply chain. Due to ongoing turbulence, this performance is aided by AI and other digital modes. 

GEP's range of tools offer real-time visibility for increased operational efficiency and improved supplier relationships. End-to-end supply chain visibility is a requirement for managing global supply chains.

Ongoing disruptions to production and labour shortages necessitate a strong safety net in order to react to shifts and stay resilient as a business. Being able to locate the raw materials from suppliers to facilities helps ensure the customer receives the goods in an orderly manner.

Visibility also helps ensure cost savings and supply chain accountability. By improving visibility, businesses can increase collaboration, anticipate risks and gain better agility to respond to uncertainty. 

Multi-tier supplier collaboration encourages information-sharing and problem-solving across supply chain tiers, creating more resilience and efficiency within. It creates a more optimised network, with shared resources and information guiding more accurate decision-making with cross-network collaboration. Using digital tools and AI software allows for this to be a faster process, with less paperwork and manual mistakes. 

"Buffers built for tariffs and policy swings can quickly turn into overhang," says Michael DuVall, Global Head of Supply Chain Strategy at GEP.

"For supply chain leaders, the play is optionality, not overcorrection. That means pressure-testing scenarios to set thresholds and triggers for demand and trade shifts.

"It means probing suppliers to map tariff exposure, line up alternates, and test near- or on-shore options. And it means piloting resilience by experimenting with dual sourcing, flexible fulfilment, and lightweight AI tools that sharpen visibility."

GEP's solutions

Over the last few years, AI has revolutionised supply chains, boosting sourcing, procurement, forecasting and inventory management. 

GEP offers a range of direct and indirect procurement and supply chain tools powered by AI, helping businesses digitally transform their operations.

GEP NEXXE, for example, is its supply chain collaboration software, creating AI-powered supply chains to empower leaders to make the best decisions. 

Meanwhile, GEP SMART is the procurement technology leader's agentic AI-powered source-to-pay (S2P) offering, digitising sourcing, purchasing, payments and suppliers in a unified platform. 

Ultimately, GEP's AI tools do the heavy lifting, allowing procurement and supply chain teams to focus on more meaningful tasks, such as enhancing supplier partnerships and driving strategy. 

An evening with GEP

GEP is set to host an exclusive executive procurement dinner in London, bringing senior leaders together to discuss how AI-driven procurement strategies are helping teams remove friction, accelerate decision-making and deliver greater business impact.

Event: GEP Executive Procurement Dinner
Theme: Unsticking Procurement - AI Strategies for Impactful Teams
Date: Tuesday 3 March 2026
Time: 7-9pm
Location: Kimpton Fitzroy, London

Join senior executives at GEP’s Executive Dinner for a focused discussion on how AI is reshaping supplier ecosystems and reducing operational friction.

Register your interest to join industry leaders at Kimpton Fitzroy on 3 March. 

Attendance is strictly limited to CPOs, Heads of Procurement and senior decision-makers who meet the event criteria. Places are limited.