If there is one thing I’ve learned in my years navigating the shifting tides of supply chains, from the paper-heavy days of the late 80s to the hyper-connected, AI-driven landscape we stand in today, it is this: trust travels faster than light.
As we close out 2025, the conversation in boardrooms has shifted. Yes, we have incredible algorithms that predict demand, and yes, our automated bots handle invoices. But beneath the digital hum, there is a resounding return to the human element. We are seeing a renaissance of Ethics & Integrity. It’s no longer just a compliance checkbox; it is a competitive advantage.
Today, I want to take a step back from the tech hype and talk about the heart of our profession. Let's look at where we are, the fundamental skills we must reclaim, and where the puck is going for the next three years.
The New Era of 'Integrity by Design'
In the last 12 months, we’ve witnessed a profound maturation in how organisations view corruption and compliance. We are moving away from reactive "whack-a-mole" policing toward what I call Integrity by Design.
The most significant development has been the widespread adoption of Integrity Pacts. Once the domain of public sector megaprojects, these binding agreements between procurement authorities and bidders, monitored by independent third parties, are entering the private sector supply chain. They are enhancing transparency, deterring corruption, and, crucially, improving competition by leveling the playing field.
According to a recent report by the World Economic Forum, companies employing robust integrity frameworks are now seeing a "performance premium," outperforming peers by nearly 8% over a five-year period WEF, Integrity & Good Governance 2025. This isn't just about avoiding fines; it's about signaling stability to investors.
We are also seeing the rise of Collective Action initiatives. In maritime and logistics sectors, competitors are banding together to standardize anti-bribery measures, making it impossible for corrupt actors to play one company against another. As noted in Transparency International's 2025 analysis, these collaborative ecosystems are proving to be the most effective firewall against systemic corruption Transparency International Priorities.
The challenge for us now is to embed these pacts into our Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) platforms not as legal hurdles, but as cultural cornerstones.
Back to Basics: The Art of the Human Deal
While 2024 was the year everyone scrambled to buy AI, 2025 has been the year we remembered why we hired humans in the first place.
I’m calling this the "Back to Basics" movement.
We largely automated the tactical buying. What’s left? The messy, complex, high-stakes strategic work that requires empathy, intuition, and nuance. We are seeing a pivot back to true Category Management and deeply collaborative Supplier Relationship Management (SRM).
The "basic" skill of the future isn't coding; it's negotiation. But not the fist pounding, price slashing negotiation of the 90s. I’m talking about "value-creation negotiation", finding the hidden value that an algorithm can’t see. It’s about sitting across from a key supplier and saying, "How do we innovate together so we both win in 2026?"
Recent industry surveys highlight that while cost savings remain a priority, risk mitigation through relationship building has overtaken it as the number one strategic driver Ivalua State of Digitization 2025. You cannot automate trust. You cannot automate the phone call you make to a supplier when their factory floods, asking them to prioritise your shipment because you’ve treated them fairly for a decade. That is the "basic" we must protect.
The Outlook: 2026-2028
Looking ahead to the next three years, I see the landscape shifting from "Voluntary Compliance" to "Mandatory Diligence."
The regulatory environment is tightening. The ripple effects of the European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) are now crashing onto shores globally, from Southeast Asia to the Americas. By 2027, I predict that Tier-N visibility (knowing your supplier’s supplier’s supplier) will be a license to operate, not a nice-to-have.
We will also see the rise of the Chief Integrity Officer role within the supply chain function, or at least the CPO role expanding to explicitly cover this mandate. The focus will shift from "Is this supplier cheap?" to "Is this supplier safe, ethical, and resilient?"
Furthermore, watch for "Green integrity" becoming a dominant theme. As sustainability claims face stricter scrutiny (anti-greenwashing laws), the integrity of your data regarding carbon footprints will be just as auditable as your financials. The IntegrityNext State of Sustainable Procurement 2025 report already indicates that over 80% of leaders consider sustainability data accuracy a top risk vector IntegrityNext Report 2025.
Final Thoughts
The tools of our trade change every year. I’ve seen fax machines give way to email, and email give way to portals. But the currency of our trade, trust, remains unchanged.
As we head into 2026, let’s embrace the technology, but let’s double down on our humanity. Let’s build supply chains that are not just efficient, but honorable. Because in a transparent world, integrity is the only strategy that survives.
What is one step you can take this week to strengthen the "invisible handshake" with your top strategic supplier?