Discover what many shipping organisations are doing to strengthen visibility
Global shipping is operating in a volatile and changeable environment. In the market today, disruption is becoming more frequent, more costly and harder to predict.
From geopolitical tensions in the Red Sea to increasing ESG scrutiny and evolving customer expectations, maritime organisations face growing pressure to make faster decisions with greater confidence.
The challenge? Many still don’t have the visibility they need across their supply chains.
Achilles research reveals that 75% of maritime organisations report only partial, limited or no visibility into their supplier networks.
At the same time, more than half expect supply chain risk to increase over the next 12 to 24 months.
This creates a critical question for procurement, compliance and operational leaders:
How do you adapt your supplier catalogue quickly – without introducing new risk?
Is the visibility gap becoming a business risk?
When shipping routes change unexpectedly, organisations may need to source new suppliers, onboard subcontractors or shift logistics arrangements at short notice.
Without trusted supplier data, those decisions can introduce hidden risks such as:
- Regulatory non-compliance
- ESG and human rights issues
- Financial instability
- Quality and safety concerns
- Cybersecurity vulnerabilities
The Achilles survey revealed that while most organisations have managed disruption relatively well so far, some have already experienced events costing more than 10 million USD. This highlights to us and the industry, that although lack of clear visibility may not cause daily pain, when serious disruption strikes it can become a potentially disastrous vulnerability.
Sustainability as a commercial imperative
Sustainability continues to rise in importance across the maritime sector, with respondents rating its importance at 7.4 out of 10.
Interestingly, the strongest drivers are not regulation but:
- Customer expectations
- Carbon reduction targets
- Competitive differentiation
This reflects a broader shift in the industry.
Customers and investors increasingly expect evidence to show their value chains are ethical, responsible and aligned with decarbonisation goals. For organisations that can demonstrate strong ESG performance, sustainability can be a real driver for building trust with stakeholders and a strong competitive advantage.
AI is emerging as a valuable support tool
More than three-quarters of respondents are exploring or piloting AI in procurement and supplier risk management.
Current use cases include:
- Automating supplier assessments
- Summarising risk data
- Identifying anomalies
- Supporting faster decision-making
However, no organisations report enterprise-wide deployment.
This suggests that AI is being adopted cautiously, with the greatest value coming from improving existing processes rather than replacing them.
What some large maritime organisations are doing differently
Organisations that respond effectively to disruption tend to have three main capabilities in place:
- Risk-Based Due Diligence
Prioritising high risk suppliers and focussing their resources where the exposure or potential exposure is greatest.
- End-to-End Supplier Visibility
Maintaining current data on suppliers including ownership, certifications, financial health, cyber security credentials, watchlists and ESG performance.
- Fast Supplier Onboarding
Organisations who are getting ahead of the risk, can qualify and approve new suppliers quickly without compromising compliance standards, both gaining operational efficiencies as well as reducing risk.
Turning supply chain risk into operational resilience
Within the maritime industry, uncertainty is unavoidable. But the key differentiator between leading organisations and those facing crippling challenges, is not necessarily their ability to avoid disruption, but their ability to respond with speed, confidence and control.
Achilles helps maritime organisations gain trusted supplier intelligence, automate due diligence and strengthen supply chain resilience.
Whether you are addressing ESG requirements, managing geopolitical disruption or exploring AI-driven efficiency, better visibility is the foundation.
Discover true supply chain visibility
Want to find out how Achilles help large maritime organisations strengthen supply chain visibility and reduce supplier risk? Get in touch – fill out the form and we will schedule a call to tell you more about how we can help you gain real visibility.
