Over the past decade, CSCOs have invested heavily in supply chain visibility platforms, control towers, and analytics layers to gain real-time awareness across planning, sourcing, manufacturing, and logistics. While these investments have improved monitoring and reporting, many organisations still struggle to translate visibility into consistent operational control.

As supply chains become more complex due to demand volatility, geopolitical risk, multi-tier supplier networks, and rising service expectations, CSCOs are increasingly measured by execution outcomes, not dashboard maturity. In 2026, the challenge is no longer about seeing disruptions early, but about acting decisively, at scale, and with predictable results.

In this research-led panel discussion, QKS Group analysts and industry CSCOs examine why visibility has not delivered control, where execution breaks down in real operations, and how supply chain leaders are redefining technology, operating models, and governance to regain decision authority. Drawing on SPARK Plus buyer intelligence, the session converts enterprise experience into practical guidance for supply chain leadership.

What to Expect

This session offers a practitioner-focused discussion on how visibility platforms are used today, why manual coordination still dominates critical situations, and what needs to change to achieve operational control.

Participants will gain clarity on how control differs from awareness, why automation remains limited despite advanced platforms, and how CSCOs are reshaping their technology and organisational strategies.

The conversation prioritises real-world experience over vendor narratives, helping CSCOs and supply chain technology leaders understand what actually enables execution reliability in complex environments.

Agenda

Opening Context
- How supply chain visibility became a baseline capability
- Why CSCO expectations have moved from monitoring to control
- The widening gap between insight and execution authority
- Objectives and structure of the session
Why Visibility Still Fails to Deliver Operational Control
- Alert-driven operations and decision fatigue
- Fragmented system ownership and data handoffs
- Delays between detection, decision, and execution
- Limited automation in exception handling
Control vs Awareness - A Practical CSCO Distinction
- Defining operational control in business terms
- Decision rights and escalation models
- Human-led vs system-led interventions
- Maturity stages from visibility to control
Enterprise Reality Check
- How visibility platforms are actually used day to day
- What happens during large-scale disruptions
- Dependence on war rooms and manual coordination
- Financial and service-level impact of delayed action
Metrics That Indicate True Operational Control
- Detection-to-resolution cycle time
- Automation ratio in exception handling
- Service recovery consistency
- Cost per disruption event
Practical Takeaways for CSCOs and Practitioners
- Reassessing current visibility investments
- Immediate 90-day actions
- Medium-term structural priorities
- Using buyer intelligence as a continuous input

Key Metrics CSCOs Should Track in 2026

Exception Resolution Cycle Time - Speed from detection to corrective action
Automation Coverage - Share of disruptions handled without human escalation
Execution Reliability - Stability of service levels and plan adherence
System-to-System Decision Latency - Time between planning updates and execution changes

Analyst Recommendations & Best Practices

Designing technology stacks that support execution, not just visibility
Integrating planning and execution systems
Reducing organisational friction in decision flows
Using buyer intelligence to de-risk platform selection
Building long-term operational confidence

Who Should Attend

Chief Supply Chain Officers
Heads of Supply Chain and Operations
Supply Chain Planning and Execution Leaders
Control Tower and Digital Supply Chain Heads
Supply Chain Transformation Leaders & Enthusiast
Supply Chain Technology Decision Makers

Why Attend

Gain access to SPARK Plus buyer intelligence and enterprise-led insights into how operational control is actually achieved. Leave with a grounded understanding of how CSCOs can move beyond visibility and build execution reliability in 2026