How robotics, data infrastructure, and trade strategy are reshaping supply chain agility.
The 2025 Supply Chain Agility Index from Nucleus Research reveals a landscape in transition. While robotics and automation were once met with caution, they’ve now moved to the centre of strategic investment conversations. Yet adoption remains uneven, and success hinges on more than just technology; it demands integrated data infrastructure, cross-functional planning, and geopolitical foresight.
In 2024, more than half of organisations had yet to adopt robotics in the warehouse. The most common barriers included integration complexity, concerns about suitability for existing operations, and challenges tied to change management.
By 2025, the tone has shifted. Although adoption remains moderate, 51.8% of organisations now rank robotics and automation as their top non-AI technology investment. This pivot from curiosity to commitment is largely driven by persistent labour shortages, mounting fulfilment pressures, and the rising complexity of global supply chains. Robotics is no longer a fringe innovation—it has become a strategic lever for operational resilience and productivity.
Robotics alone won’t deliver agility. Increasingly, organisations are investing in real-time data-sharing platforms, which now represent the most widely adopted collaboration tool, with 50.6% penetration. These platforms serve a critical role: they connect legacy systems with modern planning tools, enable seamless data flow across departments, and lay the groundwork for advanced capabilities such as AI, forecasting, and digital twins.
Notably, companies with mature data infrastructure are 1.4× more likely to have deployed AI and tend to score higher on digital acceleration metrics, especially those tied to geopolitical uncertainty. The message is clear: before deploying decision-layer tools, the underlying data plumbing must be in place.
Despite this progress, gaps remain. Only 25.7% of manufacturers have implemented cloud-based supply chain visibility suites, suggesting that many still rely on fragmented integrations or manual data consolidation. This limits agility and slows innovation.
Nucleus uncovered a strong correlation between maturity in Global Trade Compliance and investment in Integrated Business Planning (IBP). Organisations that treat trade as a strategic function, rather than a regulatory obligation, tend to be more advanced in cross-functional planning.
This connection makes sense. Both domains require structured, multi-tier data, robust scenario modelling capabilities, and full cross-functional visibility. When trade and planning functions are aligned, organisations gain the ability to simulate tariff impacts, adjust sourcing strategies, and forecast landed cost variations with greater precision. This alignment transforms reactive operations into proactive strategy, an essential shift in today’s volatile trade environment.
Southeast Asia emerged as the most geopolitically exposed region, with 61% of respondents citing trade restrictions and tariffs as top concerns. In response, 73% of organisations are actively diversifying suppliers across regions. Nearly half are pursuing nearshoring or reshoring strategies, while many are adopting AI-driven risk analytics and inventory buffers to mitigate disruption.
The UAE presents its own set of challenges, due to its strategic location and exposure to regional instability. Organisations operating in this region are increasingly holding local inventory buffers, using analytics to hedge against border delays, and navigating sanctions and export controls with greater precision.
Meanwhile, organisations in the USA, Canada, and Europe report similar concerns but appear more insulated, likely due to more mature trade management capabilities and established risk mitigation frameworks.
To navigate this shifting marketplace, Nucleus offers four key recommendations. First, prioritise robotics adoption with a change management lens, success requires operational alignment, not just capital investment. Second, invest in real-time data platforms, which serve as the foundation for AI, forecasting, and visibility. Third, integrate trade and planning functions, treating compliance as a strategic enabler rather than a siloed obligation. And finally, localise risk strategies by region, using analytics and inventory buffers to mitigate geopolitical exposure.
As robotics, data infrastructure, and global trade planning converge, supply chain leaders must shift focus from aspiration to execution. Manufacturers that invest in real-time data platforms, integrated planning, and localised risk strategies will be best positioned to scale efficiently and respond to disruption. Ultimately, success will hinge not on technology alone, but on how effectively it’s aligned with processes and people.
To explore the full findings, regional breakdowns, and strategic insights from the 2025 Supply Chain Agility Index, visit the Epicor website and download the complete report. It’s an essential resource for supply chain leaders looking to turn robotics, data infrastructure, and trade strategy into a cohesive blueprint for agility and growth.
