Impact: HighInventory Planning2026-07-13· GEP
GEP index signals renewed buffer-stock building as supply disruption fears rise
Companies are continuing to build buffer inventories as concerns over further supply disruption persist, according to the latest GEP Global Supply Chain Volatility Index update. The shift suggests procurement and planning teams are moving from observation to defensive action, with consequences for supplier orders, working capital and demand-supply balancing.
The Dataleo angle
The key signal is not simply that inventories are rising. Planning systems must distinguish genuine consumption changes from precautionary purchasing. Without that separation, demand models can treat defensive orders as durable market demand and propagate the distortion through supply, capacity and inventory plans.