Business management

Building resilient supply chains: what business leaders need to know

Resilient supply chains means more transparency, stronger supplier partnerships, diversifying globally, and investing where it matters most.

17 Feb 2026 . 5 min read

UK businesses face rising climate and cost pressures, making resilient, transparent supply chains essential. Here’s how you could strengthen operations, cut risk, and create long‑term value through smarter, sustainable strategy.

Key takeaways for businesses:

Resilience requires real‑time adaptability: traditional annual planning cycles are no longer enough as geopolitical and economic volatility accelerates.
Future‑ready leaders act early and at speed: diversified supplier bases, rapid decision‑making and proactive risk identification increasingly define competitive advantage.
Visibility and aligned partnerships are essential: deep supply‑chain transparency and working with values‑aligned suppliers could significantly strengthen long‑term resilience

Why real‑time resilience matters for UK businesses

At our recent Future Fit event, UK business leaders reinforced how annual planning cycles or static models can no longer be relied upon. Businesses are operating in a rapidly changing world amid geopolitical tensions and shifting global alliances, so real-time planning and continuous adaptability has become crucial.

Future-ready leaders are those who understand their vulnerabilities and dependencies, diversify boldly, and make decisions at speed. Experience with unexpected challenges – not perfect forecasting – is increasingly what sets resilient businesses apart.

At the centre of this resilience is the supply chain. A resilient, sustainable supply chain could potentially reduce exposure to shocks, strengthens competitive edge, and enables organisations to respond with agility when global conditions shift.

Businesses are telling us that in a world of geopolitical tension, climate volatility and shifting trade rules, resilience is no longer optional; it’s fundamental to growth.

Jonathan Barrow

Head of National Sectors

How future‑ready leaders build competitive advantage with purpose

Here are five leadership behaviours that stood out at our Future Fit event.

1. Diversify boldly and early

Leading firms reduce exposure to single‑market shocks by expanding their supply base and spreading risk across geographies and partners.

2. Build visibility across your entire network

Transparency and traceability across all suppliers – not just Tier 1 partners – gives leaders the situational awareness to anticipate disruptions.

3. Invest where it strengthens long‑term resilience

Future Fit leaders prioritise investments that create environmental and social value, not just near‑term efficiency – from regenerative practices to ecosystem‑positive sourcing.

4. Partner with suppliers who share your ambition

Resilient supply chains depend on shared purpose. Working with values‑aligned suppliers reduces dependency, improves problem‑solving, and strengthens the wider system you operate in.

5. Act early - don’t wait for crisis signals

Embedding yourself deeply into your supply chain helps you spot vulnerabilities before they become disruption. Proactive leaders gain real competitive edge.

Get your supply chain Future Fit

Get the tools and insight to reduce costs and increase resilience and agility.

Visit our Trade Hub today

Stronger supply chain resilience

Mid-market leaders across the UK consistently cite supply chain volatility alongside skills shortages and tech disruption as core pressures shaping the business environment.

Future Fit firms are re‑thinking resilience, diversifying suppliers, increasing transparency, and using data to better anticipate disruption - balancing cost with continuity.

Andy Gray, Managing Director

Commercial Mid Markets, NatWest

Your action plan for becoming a Future Fit business

1. Map your risk exposure & build scenario plans

Our panellists suggest auditing risk across these themes:

Geopolitical exposure (regions, suppliers, transport routes)
Climate vulnerability (extreme weather, water scarcity)
Regulatory shifts (tariffs, sustainability compliance)
Single‑point supplier dependencies

2. Diversify suppliers early not during crisis

Consider building a portfolio that balances:

Near‑shore suppliers for reliability
Offshore providers for cost and innovation
Local providers for sustainability and speed
Multiple sources for critical materials

3. Invest in deep supplier partnerships

Assess whether you could move from transactional procurement to:

Joint problem‑solving
Shared sustainability programmes
Transparent data sharing
Co‑funded resilience initiatives

4. Build transparency through data

Identify areas you could strengthen in 2026 for agile, informed decisions:

End‑to‑end supply visibility
Real‑time demand and inventory tracking
Predictive analytics for disruptions
Integrated systems for forecasting

5. Localise where it strengthens resilience

For mid‑market businesses this might include:

Regional manufacturing hubs
In‑territory fulfilment
Local sourcing teams
Reduced reliance on long‑distance logistics
Lower-carbon freight choices

6. Upskill internal teams for the new supply chain reality

Our panellists agreed key skills likely to be needed are:

Digital & data fluency
Sustainability & ESG knowledge
Risk intelligence
Supplier relationship management
Scenario and stress‑testing capability

Those who diversify, build visibility, invest intentionally, partner wisely, and move fast are more likely to thrive - not just survive - in a world defined by rapid change.

Contact us about supply chain solutions

Want to talk to us about supply chains? Speak with your usual bank contact or visit our website: Trade Finance | Global and Domestic Trade