This contributed story by Duncan Angove, CEO at Blue Yonder, originally appeared in Fortune on Nov. 13, 2023. Excerpts from the story below. To read the full article visit Fortune.com.

People often only realize the importance of something when it breaks, right? Supply chains are finally having their zeitgeist moment, and budgets are shifting because supply chains are becoming a top priority.

We’re living in an extraordinary time. There are secular trends of inflation and labor shortages. There’s dramatic uncertainty in demand and supply coupled with rising shipping container costs. Then there are the longer-term trends of e-commerce acceleration, last-mile delivery, and sustainability. According to a recent Gartner survey, 68% of supply chain executives feel they’re constantly responding to high-impact disruptions, and the same number said they don’t even have time to recover before the next one hits. 

Meanwhile, customers are becoming more demanding—expecting shorter lead times, improved service, returns and refunds, and a commitment to sustainability. And across sectors, organizations are seeing a significant growth in competitors, rise of digital natives, cross-border commerce, and more, putting pressure on price, profit, and market share.