Businesses accelerate digital transformation amid global trade and geopolitical volatility

Amid fluctuating tariffs, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical tensions, companies like AXA and Boston Scientific are adopting rapid technological and governance strategies to stay agile, highlighting the evolving landscape of global business resilience.

In an era marked by fluctuating tariffs, unpredictable supply chains, and geopolitical disruptions, businesses worldwide are grappling with the imperative to act swiftly and keep their documentation agile. Dave Os...

borne, CEO of Conga, a U.S.-based provider of contract and revenue management software, highlights the challenge succinctly: companies often have just weeks to decide their next strategic moves amid never-ending macroeconomic uncertainty. He underlines how “effective planning is extremely difficult, especially if you don’t have access to rich, accurate, real-time data,” a scenario playing out across sectors where speed has become just as critical as strategy in technology deployment.

The pressure to meet tight deadlines driven by regulatory demands, technological deadlines, and market cycles forces organisations to urgently rethink their contract and document management processes. One telling example is French insurance giant AXA, which faced a “hard date” for migrating from a soon-to-be-decommissioned contract platform. Xavier Leon, AXA’s finance project manager, revealed that meeting this fixed deadline demanded intensive coordination, especially around divergent GDPR and risk management interpretations across European countries. Overcoming hurdles like data access disputes—which temporarily stalled progress—required proactive engagement and transparency, including demonstrations of security measures to legal and audit teams. Leon emphasised that unified executive commitment and weekly leadership reviews were pivotal to maintaining momentum and making swift decisions amid resource constraints.

Similarly, Boston Scientific, a major U.S.-based medical device company, managed a concurrent transformation by replacing a decade-old pricing and quoting system while migrating to SAP S/4HANA across its European operations. Missing their go-live date would have delayed a wider transformation by an entire year. Diego Martin Colombo, overseeing revenue management, credited the project’s success to a culture of transparency and collaborative problem-solving, avoiding blame and fostering trust between technology partners and internal teams. His colleague Tjerk Smits stressed the importance of disciplined use of standard functionalities over excessive customisation to avoid delays and leverage best practices. This approach has enabled hundreds of staff to operate more efficiently with minimal disruption to end users.

Osborne argues that embracing technology like AI is crucial for removing manual bottlenecks without losing human control and oversight. He stresses that Conga’s vision for AI focuses on ethical, secure augmentation of employee productivity to accelerate value delivery. For both AXA and Boston Scientific, the takeaway extends beyond technology—it’s about fostering governance cultures that prioritise communication, ruthless prioritisation, and early security and compliance engagement.

The challenges faced by these companies are emblematic of broader global trade and supply chain dynamics intensified by tariffs and geopolitical tensions. For example, Indian solar manufacturers such as Vikram Solar and Waaree Energies are actively reconfiguring supply chains to circumvent the steep U.S. tariffs of up to 50% which took effect in August 2025. They are sourcing solar cells from lower-tariff countries and avoiding domestic components for U.S. exports, revealing the complexity and risks businesses face in adapting fast to protectionist policies. Waaree also confronts investigations into alleged mislabeling of Chinese components, which it denies, highlighting the delicate balance companies must strike in compliance and operational agility while striving to maintain market access.

The cost impact of tariffs is vividly illustrated in a recent S&P Global study revealing that President Trump’s tariff policies will cost businesses more than $1.2 trillion in 2025, a burden largely passed on to consumers. This unexpected financial strain arises from factors including the suspension of the ‘de minimis rule,’ which increased the cost of imports considerably. While AI and efficiency gains have helped some companies protect margins, the tariffs have eroded these benefits, signalling broader economic friction arising from trade tensions.

Even with such headwinds, the International Monetary Fund recently upgraded its global GDP growth forecast for 2025 to 3.2%, citing mitigating factors like more lenient tariffs, agile private sector responses, a weaker U.S. dollar, fiscal stimuli, and extensive AI investments. However, the looming risk of renewed trade escalations, particularly the threat of 100% tariffs on Chinese exports and retaliatory measures by China on rare earths, could significantly dent growth projections by reducing global GDP by up to 1.8 percentage points by 2027.

The integrated challenges facing businesses are further reflected in specific national stories. Switzerland, for instance, is struggling under a new 39% U.S. tariff that has devastated its export sectors beyond pharmaceuticals. Iconic Swiss industries including dairy, watchmaking, and luxury goods are grappling with plummeting U.S. demand, forcing difficult adjustments such as cattle culls and threatening jobs. With the U.S. as one of Switzerland’s largest trading partners, the economic fallout is severe, prompting government interventions like extended unemployment benefits. Yet Swiss industry leaders remain resolute in focusing on quality and resilience rather than relocation, underscoring the complexity of adapting supply chains and market strategies amid tariff pressures.

Meanwhile, China’s export rebound of 8.3% in September 2025 signals ongoing strength, driven by diversified markets including the EU, Southeast Asia, and Africa, even as trade tensions with the U.S. sharpen. China has reduced its economic reliance on the U.S., with exports there now under 10%, but further tariff hikes could still threaten jobs and economic stability, forcing exporters to accept thinner margins and cost cutting measures domestically. Analysts express cautious hope for dialogue aimed at de-escalation during upcoming summits, but uncertainty weighs heavily on investor confidence.

In the small and midsized business sector, tariff-induced cost pressures are prompting strategic adjustments such as early inventory purchasing and delayed price increases. While some businesses absorb costs to maintain customer loyalty, others face setbacks in expansion and hiring plans. Experts recommend measures like renegotiating supplier contracts and transparent communication with customers to navigate these turbulent conditions, recognising the lasting economic impacts of shifting consumer behaviour and reduced confidence.

Against this complex backdrop, companies must navigate not just the technological and operational challenges of transformation and document management but also the wider, dynamic forces of trade policies, supply chain volatility, and economic uncertainty. The experiences of firms like AXA and Boston Scientific illustrate that success in this environment hinges on governance frameworks that foster trust, transparency, and rapid decision-making, while being underpinned by technologies designed to enhance human capability without surrendering control. As these pressures intensify globally, businesses that can move swiftly and cohesively to adapt will be better positioned to weather both immediate disruptions and longer-term structural shifts in the global economy.

Source: Noah Wire Services