Did 73% of Supply-Chain Leaders Face Supplier Disruptions?

Short answer: Yes, within one defined survey. Sphera reported that 73% of 200 senior US and UK procurement and supply-chain executives experienced supplier disruptions in the prior 12 months.

Last updated: August 2026

What the 73% result measured

Sphera published the result on 14 October 2025. The survey asked senior procurement and supply-chain executives about supplier disruptions during the preceding 12 months. Sphera says 73% experienced a disruption and that most respondents reported a negative bottom-line effect.

The source separately reports that 23% described significant revenue or cost losses and 50% described minor losses. Those loss-severity figures explain the business context, but they should not be re-labelled as the frequency or cost of one disruption.

Survey scope and denominator

Sphera says the survey was conducted in September 2025 with 200 chief procurement officers and chief supply-chain officers in the United States and United Kingdom. Respondents worked at organisations with more than 25 employees across industries including manufacturing, retail, transport and utilities.

So 73% means 73% of this survey sample under this question and time window. It is not a census of all companies, a global industry rate or proof that every disruption caused the same loss. The study was commissioned by Sphera, a vendor of supply-chain risk software; readers should keep that sponsorship visible when using the result.

Why the Gartner attribution was wrong

The earlier version of this page called the result a Gartner 2024 statistic. The located support is Sphera's 2025 survey. A separate Gartner 2024 survey also reported 73%, but for a different question: companies that had added or removed production locations from their supply-chain networks during the preceding two years. Network changes are not the same measure as supplier disruptions in the past 12 months.

How to compare the result with your own operations

Define a supplier disruption before counting. For example, include only an event that causes a missed confirmed date, a failed quality or compliance gate, an allocation shortfall or a forced source change. Then retain:

• the number of active suppliers observed;
• the number with at least one qualifying event;
• event count and duration, kept separate from affected-supplier count;
• the direct cost, delayed revenue or avoided impact, with its calculation; and
• the evidence date and owner of each classification.

That creates a comparable internal rate without treating a vendor survey as a forecast for one business.

Where Forthsource fits

Forthsource helps importers and sourcing teams verify suppliers against company and business-registry records and review rule-based trust signals before committing funds. Manual Chinese supplier checks have a 24-to-48-hour dossier service window, with optional dated factory photos.

Forthsource does not continuously monitor supplier disruptions, verify production capacity or product quality, perform factory audits, or promise that a verified company record prevents operational failure. Those controls require ongoing evidence, inspection and commercial due diligence.

Frequently asked questions

Who reported the 73% supplier-disruption result?

Sphera reported it in October 2025 from a survey conducted in September 2025.

How many executives were surveyed?

The sample contained 200 CPOs and CSCOs in the United States and United Kingdom.

Was the Gartner 73% figure about supplier disruptions?

No. Gartner's separate 2024 result concerned companies adding or removing production locations over two years, not supplier disruptions in the prior year.