Argon & Co releases multi-country research report from 800 senior executives for second year.
The Operations Outlook 2026 report is now available for download.
Now in its second year, the report draws on insights from more than 800 senior executives across ten countries and twelve sectors, including manufacturing, retail, and life sciences. The research highlights how organizations are navigating the continued pressures of high inflation, supply chain fractures, technological disruption, and workforce constraints while still delivering profitability and performance.
The report identifies a common thread: resilience remains too reactive. Many organizations are still focused on treating symptoms instead of addressing root causes. True resilience, Argon & Co argues, must be embedded directly into a company’s strategy, operating models, and culture — allowing organizations to withstand disruption and emerge even stronger. Key findings from the report include:
46% of executives cited rapid technological change, including AI and automation, as their biggest challenge,
43% identified inflation and cost pressures as concern,
51% are turning to automation and AI to reduce costs,
47% are implementing workforce training programs.
Despite these actions, budget constraints, siloed decision-making, and legacy systems continue to stall progress. Looking ahead, AI and digitization top the list of five-year strategic priorities. But many firms are delaying large-scale investment, opting instead to pilot targeted use cases with faster ROI. At the same time, sustainability has dropped sharply down the priority list—despite looming regulatory requirements and reputational risks.
“You can’t build resilience by doing what you’ve always done—just faster,” said Chris Keller, Partner at Argon & Co US. “The clients making real progress are the ones bold enough to rethink the fundamentals: their networks, their talent models, and their decision-making frameworks. They’re not just preparing for the next crisis—they’re designing for adaptability.”
The Operations Outlook 2026 report is now available for download.
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