Are costly unknowns lurking in your supply chain?

How connected is your supplier network, really?

If you’re like most supply chain professionals, the answer is probably “not as much as it could be.” Disconnected systems, siloed data, and manual workarounds create costly unknowns at every step of a product’s journey - from upstream suppliers to downstream customers, and even within your own teams across internal departments.

Delays, errors, compliance issues, and last-minute scrambles can quickly pile up. The companies that get ahead aren’t just fast; they’re connected. When trading partners and internal teams share the same label data, standards, and product information, they can spot problems early, move quickly, and collaborate effectively - even when disruptions hit.

According to our 2026 Top 5 Trends report, based on a survey of over 400+ industry professionals, companies leveraging connected and collaborative networks are better positioned to navigate the supply chain challenges of tomorrow.

Turning bottlenecks into breakthroughs

In traditional supply chains, a missing label spec or outdated product information can trigger a domino effect, including production delays, compliance violations, costly instances of relabeling, or even market recalls. Our research underscores this reality, revealing that 38% of companies still grapple with manual relabeling “upstream,” while 37% cite noncompliance risks and delays as major barriers to collaboration.

But imagine instead that every partner, both upstream, downstream and within your own organization, works from a single source of truth. Suddenly, visibility is instantaneous, errors drop, and response times shrink.

That’s not hypothetical. It’s exactly what organizations adopting connected and collaborative networks are beginning to see: when label data and standards are shared with trading partners, 69% of professionals say it helps their company manage compliance and respond faster to disruptions. In today’s fast-moving world, you can’t afford to work in silos. Staying connected is how you keep ahead.

Real results from real customers

Loftware’s solutions are doing exactly this for customers of all sizes across industries and geographies.

We help companies connect trading partners and standardize product data across global supply networks. For example, a medical device manufacturer integrated Loftware with SAP, reducing label templates by 80% and automating workflows to improve compliance and speed production. Trek standardized product identification across 10 million labels annually, enabling warehouses and distributors to respond faster to customer and retailer needs. Varian (Siemens Healthineers) used our solutions to align label standards globally, reducing errors and accelerating market entry while improving collaboration with upstream and downstream partners, as well as their internal teams.

In short, shared data and aligned processes let companies not just survive disruptions; they thrive through them.

Supply chains that bounce back

Connected networks don’t just fix problems faster; they make supply chains stronger. When suppliers share accurate product information and internal teams act on it, companies cut risks, remove redundancies, and get products to market more quickly. They also build something that money can’t buy: trust across partners.

In 2026, winning isn’t about the biggest warehouses or the lowest costs. It’s about having the smartest connections. Connected networks aren’t optional anymore. They let your supply chain pivot, recover, and keep moving - no matter what surprises come next.

Curious how connected networks can help your supply chain move faster, stay compliant, and respond to disruptions? Read our 2026 Top 5 Trends report and watch our expert-led webinars to see actionable strategies in action.