Lenovo has once again cemented its status as a global leader in supply chain excellence by securing the eighth position in the highly regarded Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 for 2025. This upward climb by two places from the previous year underscores the company’s ongoing commitment to advancing its supply chain capabilities across a range of industries, including technology, pharmaceuticals, automotive, and fast-moving consumer goods.
Central to Lenovo’s supply chain success is its strategic integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) throughout its global operations. The company’s mission to deliver “Smarter AI for All” not only drives its product innovation but fundamentally transforms its business processes, enhancing both efficiency and resilience. Over the past eight years, Lenovo’s digital transformation efforts have focused on improving planning accuracy, procurement, supplier collaboration, and logistics visibility, all while meeting its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals.
Che Min Tu, Senior Vice President and Group Operations Officer, highlighted that embedding AI within the supply chain has enabled Lenovo to support burgeoning business demands, improve customer experience, and significantly reduce order-to-ship times in what is known to be one of the most complex global business environments today. The company’s AI-powered Advanced Production Scheduling (APS) system has notably increased production line capacity by 24%, lifted production volumes by 19%, and accelerated on-time deliveries more than threefold. Remarkably, AI has shortened production scheduling from two hours to just two minutes, with automation covering over 75% of the process. This solution is being progressively rolled out across Lenovo’s extensive manufacturing facilities worldwide.
Another cornerstone of Lenovo’s AI deployment involves its Supply Chain Intelligence (SCI) platform. By analysing data from over 800 sources—covering nearly 80% of the entire supply chain—the SCI platform breaks down operational silos and delivers unparalleled visibility, pinpointing risks and offering real-time solutions. This AI-driven insight helps Lenovo build an ultra-resilient supply chain capable of adapting quickly to disruptions, a strategic shift the company terms as moving from resilience to “anti-fragility.” Ben Massie, Vice President of Global Supply Chain for Lenovo’s Infrastructure Solutions Group, explained this vision of becoming stronger through disruption, rather than merely withstanding it.
Lenovo’s commitment extends to geographic diversification and expansion of its manufacturing footprint. The company operates more than 30 manufacturing sites across 11 markets spanning Asia Pacific, China, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, North America, and South America. In a significant development for regional growth and supply chain strength, Lenovo, in partnership with Alat, recently broke ground on a new manufacturing base in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, scheduled to become operational in 2026. This facility will produce millions of laptops, desktops, and servers to serve that region, complementing Lenovo’s broader strategy to mitigate geopolitical risks and tariffs affecting global supply chains.
Moreover, Lenovo’s strategic focus on AI and manufacturing innovation aligns closely with its broader financial performance and market positioning. The company reported a 24% increase in fiscal second-quarter revenue, driven largely by the strong demand for AI-capable computers. This surge is supported by new production initiatives, including the recent announcement to manufacture AI servers at its Puducherry plant in India and the opening of an AI-centric research and development lab in Bengaluru, illustrating an ongoing global expansion strategy that reduces dependency on any single manufacturing hub. These moves aim to meet the rapidly growing demand for GPUs and AI infrastructure worldwide.
In the competitive landscape of supply chain excellence, Lenovo stands alongside industry giants such as Schneider Electric, Cisco, and Microsoft, which consistently dominate the Gartner rankings. While Schneider Electric tops the list, Lenovo’s steady progress marks it as a notable example of how embracing digital transformation and AI-driven innovation can drive supply chain leadership across diverse sectors.
By combining AI-powered tools, expanded manufacturing capabilities, and a resilient global network, Lenovo is advancing beyond traditional supply chain resilience to achieve a dynamic, adaptive system that not only meets current demands but thrives amid uncertainty and change. This strategic evolution not only benefits Lenovo’s operational efficiency but also enhances customer satisfaction, positioning the company well for continued leadership in the years ahead.
Source: Noah Wire Services
