Survey: 85% of mid-sized supply chain firms 'prepared' for tariffs
Middle-market supply chain companies are investing in technology to keep up with their larger counterparts.
A new report from assurance, tax and consulting firm RSM US LLP reveals 93% of respondents feel confident about the accuracy of their supply chain data for decision-making, and nearly as many (91%) agreed they need to invest in technology to manage operations more effectively. An overwhelming majority (88%) also noted interest in exploring how artificial intelligence can help drive supply chain success.
Eighty-five percent of middle-market supply chain respondents say they are prepared to navigate evolving trade and tariff policies over the next six to 12 months. Regarding the April 2 tariff rollout, 40% predicted a negative impact, 36% expected a positive impact and 24% foresaw no impact.
Sixty-two percent of respondents said their organization was “very effective” at managing inventory levels to minimize costs, and another 33% said their organization was somewhat effective at doing so.
Roughly three-quarters (74%) of survey respondents said their organization has taken steps to prepare for some new or pending compliance regulations. Top actions taken include investing in new technology (63%), updating organizational policies (60%) and providing training for staff (56%).
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“The pandemic forced businesses to improve supply chain data and have better information overall about where goods were coming from,” said Dr. Tu Nguyen, economist with RSM Canada. “While things seem to be a lot better now, the current uncertainty in the trade environment could be another wake-up call for businesses that still don’t have the best transparency or visibility into their supply chain.”
Methodology
RSM’s survey included 309 supply-chain decision makers and influencers (259 from the U.S. and 50 from Canada) across a variety of industries, working in organizations with annual revenue between $10 million and $1 billion. The survey was conducted by Big Village insights and fielded March 5-14, 2025.
Sixty-five percent of respondents described themselves as the sole supply chain decision maker within their organization, 29% said they are part of a decision-making group or committee, and the remainder had considerable influence on decision making. More than half (55%) of respondents were from organizations with $50 million to less than $500 million in annual revenue, 24% came from organizations with $10 million to less than $50 million in revenue and 21% were from organizations with $500 million or more in revenue.
