Gartner released its Global Supply Chain Top 25 awardees Wednesday, highlighting the accomplishments inside supply chain organizations throughout the world.
The list included very few retailers and fashion brands, which were instead outshone by energy and utility organizations, consumer packaged goods companies, pharmaceutical giants and technology juggernauts. According to Gartner, the composite score determining the results of the rankings came from peer scoring, Gartner expert scoring, revenue growth, inventory turns, ESG initiatives and more.
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Schneider Electric, which also topped last year’s list, retained that spot for 2024.
Other top-ranked awardees included Microsoft at No. 4 and Nvidia, cracking the list for the first time in the seventh spot.
Retail organizations only begin to surface in ninth place, where U.S. behemoth Walmart appeared. The company has invested significantly in same-day delivery and says that 90 percent of Americans live within 10 miles of a Walmart store.
Dave Guggina, executive vice president of supply chain for Walmart U.S., said the company will only continue pushing forward where efficient supply chains are concerned.
“We’re honored to be ranked as the number one retailer, and ninth overall, on Gartner’s Supply Chain Top 25. This recognition is a testament to the work of our associates and their commitment to quality, service, safety and sustainability. Their ambition has us continuing to strive for excellence as we advance the capabilities of our supply chain now and in the future.”
Nike and Inditex, two large enterprises with major global followings, earned the 14th and 18th spots on the list, respectively. Neither company returned Sourcing Journal’s requests for comment on the honor.
L’Oreal cracked the list at No. 11, beating out both of the fashion and apparel brands.
And JD.com squeaked itself onto the list, coming in 25th place. The company has been making strides with its logistics capabilities, even working with DTC brands on fulfillment after opening multiple warehouses on the West Coast since the pandemic, in a play to compete against juggernaut Amazon.
Hao Hu, JD.com’s head of supply chain R&D, said the honor shows the company’s prowess and progress in developing its supply chain and logistics.
“We are honored to be recognized in the Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 for 2024 for our efforts in driving innovation in the global supply chain ecosystem,” Hu said. “JD.com has developed cutting-edge technologies such as explainable forecasting, autonomous replenishment, and an intelligent carbon management platform to create a resilient, efficient and sustainable supply chain that delivers value to customers worldwide.”
Simon Bailey, vice president analyst with the Gartner Supply Chain practice, said the most successful organizations have begun putting an onus on sustainability, even as they supersize their operations, onboard new technologies and work toward better customer experiences.
“The supply chain organizations in this year’s top 25 were notable for better protecting growth rates in a challenging operating environment, while at the same time delivering more sustainable operations,” Bailey said in a statement. “The best supply chains now have ESG criteria firmly embedded in their operations, while delivering higher than average growth rates, better returns on physical assets (ROPA) and stronger margins.”
