Gartner said chief supply chain officers should prepare for an autonomous business era, arguing that supply chains will need self-improving systems that can make decisions and act while still preserving governance and human control.
Gartner is urging chief supply chain officers to rethink how their operations are organized, saying they need to move from traditional automation toward an autonomous business model.
The message came in a May 18 press release tied to Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo in Barcelona. Gartner said the shift is not just about automating tasks, but about building systems that can make decisions and take action while increasing both human autonomy and machine autonomy.
According to Gartner, an autonomous business is one built on self-improving and adaptable technology. The company said those systems should be able to act on their own, but within governance structures and human oversight.
Gartner also cited a March-to-November 2025 survey of 469 global CEOs and senior business leaders. It said 8 in 10 executives expect autonomous business to become the dominant business model by 2030.
The consultancy's Day 1 conference highlights repeated the same theme, saying autonomous-ready operations, intelligence and workforce are the key building blocks for the transition.
Trade publications including Supply Chain Digital and Procurement Magazine also reported the announcement the same day, echoing Gartner's framing of autonomy as the next step beyond siloed automation.
Revision note
Initial automated publication.