Most large organisations can tell you exactly who their Tier 1 suppliers are. Many can describe their Tier 2 relationships with reasonable confidence. Below that, visibility drops sharply, and for most businesses, Tier 3 and beyond is essentially unknown territory. This has always been a risk management problem. In 2026, it has become a financing problem too.

Supply chain management has traditionally been built around physical goods. Raw materials, components, finished products, logistics. The frameworks, the metrics, and the expertise have been developed with tangible inventory in mind.

Public sector procurement has been through significant change over the past three years. What is emerging in 2026 is something different from disruption. It is consolidation.

The supply chain audit is now a vital business process. Understanding the supply chain helps companies significantly enhance their risk management approach, reduces the risk of disruption and can confer a major competitive advantage.