Autonomous planning has passed the Peak of Inflated Expectations and is emerging as one of the most impactful trends in supply chain planning (SCP), according to Gartner.
“Autonomous planning has the potential to reshape how supply chain leaders approach decision-making by automating routine tasks and freeing up planners to focus on more complex and high-impact decisions,” says Eva Dawkins, director analyst in Gartner’s Supply Chain practice. “Autonomous planning can also detect and eliminate human and algorithmic bias, such as ‘loudest customer’ prioritisation, to ensure aligned, data-driven planning outcomes.”
While the potential benefits of the technology are generally understood, obstacles remain to mainstream adoption. For example, a lack of transparency about the algorithms and heuristics embedded in the technology – and trust in the output of the data – is impeding implementation of autonomous planning for some organisations.
Gartner’s Hype Cycle for Supply Chain Planning Technologies, 2025 is a graphical representation of how new technologies and innovations mature through five phases. SCP leaders can use the insights to identify which capabilities are ready to deliver business value immediately and which require further evaluation for fit or technological development.
Additional technologies on this year’s Hype Cycle reflect a strategic inflection point for SCP, as organizations face ongoing volatility and an unprecedented surge in AI-driven innovation. Agentic AI is in the early stages at the Innovation Trigger, while generative AI is advancing towards the Trough of Disillusionment, and AI is progressing to the Slope of Enlightenment.
Hype Cycle for Supply Chain Planning Technologies, 2025
Source: Gartner (November 2025)
As organisations evaluate autonomous and AI-driven technologies, supply chain leaders must consider additional factors. Successful implementation demands a significant cultural shift from people-centric to decision-centric thinking. As organisations automate repetitive planning tasks, planners must adapt to their new roles focused on oversight, risk management, and strategic analysis.
“Successful adoption will require aligning automation goals with digital maturity and incorporating high-quality, realtime data and broad supply chain visibility,” Dawkins says. “Additionally, building trust through transparency and upskilling teams will be essential for driving engagement and confidence in these new approaches.”
Gartner recommends that SCP leaders prioritise:
- Using a decision-type framework to identify which planning decisions are suitable for full automation, ensuring that only tasks where human intervention adds limited value are automated to avoid negative outcomes.
- Leveraging AI to automate repetitive planning tasks and enhance consistency and accuracy across decisions, while also investing in transparent analytics to build stakeholder trust and confidence in autonomous systems.
- Driving cultural change by upskilling planners and encouraging adoption of decision-centric practices, helping teams transition from manual processes to strategic oversight in an AI-enabled environment.