A global provider in intelligent supply chain execution, Infios’ senior leadership team sat down with MHD to give their thoughts on how AI will change logistics, trade compliance, and supply chain execution in 2026 – and why next year is a turning point Australian supply chains.
After years of experimentation and proof-of-concept projects, 2026 will mark the year artificial intelligence moves from peripheral innovation to core operations. But this shift won’t be driven by technology alone. According to the senior leadership team at Infios, it will be shaped by clarity of purpose, modular adoption strategies, and reframing the human roles around automation.
Defining the problem before chasing AI
Beth Hendriks, Chief Technology Officer at Infios, says the supply chain winners won’t be the ones adopting the most AI, they’ll be the ones applying it with purpose.
“The industry is shifting from technology-first thinking to problem-first strategies, finally recognising that most AI initiatives fail because companies chase tools before defining outcomes. The message for 2026 is clear: technology doesn’t drive transformation — clarity of purpose does. The question is no longer ‘What can AI do?’, but ‘What should it solve?’”
Richard Stewart, Executive Vice President of Product and Industry Strategy at Infios, says AI is powering logistics into a new era of precision and autonomy. He sees this evolution continuing, stating the collaborative model between people and technology will make problem-solving faster, more accurate, and less reactive.
“Clearly defined use cases will emerge as intelligent systems anticipate needs, optimise workflows, and manage complexity quietly in the background. Humans will remain in the loop, where their insight or approval truly adds value.”
Elevating the workforce
Steve Blough, Chief Supply Chain Strategist at Infios, says augmentative intelligence, AI that amplifies human capability rather than replacing it, will be one of the most significant shifts in 2026.
“Automation is no longer about replacing people — it’s about amplifying them,” Blough explains. “AI-driven agents are taking on repetitive, transactional workloads like ETA updates and document verification, freeing human teams to focus on exceptions, critical decisions and higher-value analysis.”
Blough says this collaborative model marks a major shift towards technology that enhances human judgment rather than eliminates it.
“AI won’t replace people in 2026 — it will elevate them, allowing supply chains to scale without burning out the workforce and ensuring human nuance stays exactly where it matters most.”
The end of monolithic platforms
“Modular supply chain execution will finally overtake the traditional monolithic platform,” says Omar Akilah, SVP of Product Strategy at Infios. “The era of lengthy implementations is ending, replaced by composable, fast-to-value architectures that let companies plug in capabilities exactly where they’re needed.”
Akilah says organisations no longer need to rip out entire technology stacks to address specific pain points.
“Instead, organisations will fix specific pain points with targeted modules that deliver immediate ROI, eliminate shelfware and dramatically reduce transformation risk,” Omar explains.
“Digital transformation will shift from a one-off overhaul to an ongoing operating rhythm — enabling supply chains to adapt faster, innovate with confidence and evolve continuously in real time.”
Acting before disruptions cascade downstream
While technology evolves, so too does the operating environment. Eugene Amigud, Chief Innovation Officer at Infios, says in 2026, supply chain disruption will become the baseline, not the exception.
The difference, Eugene emphasises, lies not in avoiding shocks but in responding faster.
“Whether triggered by shifting tariffs, extreme weather or viral demand spikes born on social platforms, volatility is now a permanent operating condition,” Amigud says.
“The supply chain leaders of 2026 will run networks that sense, decide and act before disruptions cascade downstream. And that’s the real differentiator: resilience isn’t about avoiding shocks, it’s about recovering faster, learning continuously and turning instability into strategic foresight.”
Trade compliance becoming a requirement
Don Mabry, Senior Vice President of Global Trade Solutions at Infios, predicts a reordering of priorities: “2026 will shift the focus from moving goods faster to proving where they came from, what compliance dimensions were confirmed, and why they cost what they do.”
He says the challenge of sourcing diversification brought complexity to organisations in 2025.
“Companies traded one big dependency for a dozen smaller ones. Tariffs weren’t only on final goods: some industries discovered “hidden exposure” because imported components and raw materials (often from China) fed into U.S. manufacturing.”
Heading into 2026, Mabry believes we will see U.S. and global regulators mandate multi-tier visibility, transforming supply chain transparency into a compliance requirement.
“For U.S. importers, the ocean will become the new warehouse — in-transit inventory will surpass on-hand inventory by value. Supply chain execution systems that help customers navigate uncertainty will strengthen competitive advantages for customers faced with geo-political and market driven challenges.”
He predicts some manual processes are becoming obsolete. “By 2026, any import process that still relies on paper, email, or spreadsheets will be viewed as a compliance risk — not a cost-saving measure,” Mabry says.
“Manual customs broker uploads and double-keyed data are going extinct. The new standard will be increasingly less-touch yet auditable filings with API-verified data sources.”
Security non-negotiables
As AI becomes embedded across supply chain operations, security architecture must evolve too. Chad Hicks, Chief Information Security Officer at Infios, predicts organisational restructuring.
“In 2026, forward-thinking companies will increasingly adjust their organisational structures, so security is no longer confined to IT,” Hicks says. “Product, legal, security, and finance leaders will play a larger role in shaping AI strategy, helping ensure it’s deployed safely and responsibly.”
Even as new technologies introduce new vulnerabilities, Hicks says most breaches still stem from basic lapses like phishing, weak passwords, missed patches. “I call this ‘eating your security vegetables,'” he says. “It may not be glamorous, but it’s essential. I expect a renewed focus on these fundamentals, applied to the new threats, in the year ahead.”
Designing the future
The convergence of these trends suggests supply chains ahead will look very different from today. Richard Stewart concludes that the most forward-thinking companies won’t just adopt AI, they’ll design it.
“As this transformation continues to unfold, logistics will look increasingly intelligent, resilient, and self-optimising: systems that learn continuously, adapt seamlessly, and empower humans to focus on higher-value, strategic work.”
“As AI maturity deepens, pre-built solutions will evolve into configurable platforms that allow organisations to shape bespoke, AI-enabled operations tailored to their unique challenges. Each proven use case will spark new ideas and innovations, as customers begin to imagine and create what’s next.”
