Navigating the IT Supply Chain: Insights, Strategies, and Tech Trends

It’s no secret that organizations are facing tighter timelines, budget pressures, and evolving priorities when it comes to the supply chain. GlobalServe is committed to helping you make confident, informed decisions—whether you’re optimizing spend, managing fulfillment, or preparing for 2026.

Staying Ahead of IT Supply Chain Challenges

Tariffs and Trade Turbulence

Tariff policies have remained a hot-button issue throughout 2025, especially in the IT sector. From Q1 to Q2, companies have had to respond to a wave of policy shifts, often with little notice. While most organizations haven’t overhauled their global supply chains, many are making strategic adjustments to stay agile. The prevailing approach is cautious—monitoring developments closely and preparing to pivot quickly.

To stay ahead, companies should consider:

• Diversifying supply chains to reduce dependency on any single region
• Utilizing in-country supply and warehousing to mitigate cross-border risks
• Implementing robust risk management strategies and sustainability initiatives
• Planning strategically for stockpiling and alternative sourcing

Regional Supply Chain Trends

EEMEA (Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa)

• Red Sea disruptions continue to reshape shipping adding 10–14 days to transit times, spiking freight costs and insurance premiums, and delaying deliveries across EMEA trade lanes.¹
• Iraq’s “Development Road” opens new highspeed TIR corridor reducing transport from Poland–UAE from ~21 to ~10 days, offering faster alternatives to sea freight through Suez or around Africa.²
• Eastern-Europe transit corridor expansion major rail projects will cut transit times from East Asia to Europe by ~14 days and expand rail-based freight alternatives to sea routes.³

APAC (Asia-Pacific)

• JPY’s 15% volatility forces 32% of Tokyo-based electronics firms to relocate assembly to Vietnam/Thailand.⁴
• Philippine Peso stability (+2% vs USD).⁵
• Regional challenges like Taiwan’s water shortages forcing 5nm chip plants to relocate.⁶

LATAM (Latin America)

• Infrastructure and Logistics Gaps: Ports in the Caribbean face severe inefficiencies, including handling costs that are 2–3 x higher, low maritime connectivity, and congested infrastructure in smaller ports.⁷
• LATAM scores consistently low on Logistics Performance due to inadequate transport and warehousing networks.⁸
• Inconsistent trade regulations, limited infrastructure funding, and governance concerns undermine supply chain efficiency.⁹

North America and Western Europe

• The Euro-Dollar Rollercoaster: EUR volatility (+8% swings vs USD in 2025) disrupts IT equipment imports, forcing 42% of European tech firms to renegotiate contracts.¹⁰
• Data Center Boom: Hyperscale’s accelerates EU builds to hedge FX risks.¹¹
• Chip Pricing Chaos: Memory module costs fluctuate ±15% monthly, driving firms to stockpile.¹²
• New Tech Corridors: Italy’s Chip Packaging Hub: €3B investment lures 15 Asian suppliers to Milan.¹³
• Spain’s Talent Pipeline: Barcelona coding schools now feed 40% of EU cloud startups.¹⁴
• Nordics Green Tech Powerhouse Sustainable IT Scale.¹⁵
• Microsoft’s Arctic DC: 100% hydro-powered, slashing cloud carbon costs by 60%.¹⁶
• Northvolt’s Battery Breakthrough: Cobalt-free cells for data center UPS systems.¹⁷

Key Challenges in the IT Supply Chain

Across all regions, companies are grappling with:

• Rising material costs due to imposed tariffs
• Political instability and the threat of trade wars
• Supply-demand imbalances and freight fluctuations
• Limited resources and infrastructure inefficiencies
• Currency volatility disrupting contracts and pricing

In EEMEA, Red Sea disruptions have added 10–14 days to transit times, spiking freight costs and insurance premiums.¹ Iraq’s “Development Road” offers a promising alternative, cutting transport time from Poland to UAE from ~21 to ~10 day. ² In LATAM, logistics performance remains low due to inadequate transport and warehousing networks. Governance concerns and limited infrastructure funding further complicate operations. ³

In APAC, regional challenges like currency swings and water shortages are forcing companies to relocate and rethink their strategie.⁴ In North America and Western Europe, the Euro-Dollar volatility is disrupting IT imports, prompting European tech firms to renegotiate contracts. Hyperscale data center builds are accelerating to hedge against FX risks, while chip pricing chaos—±15% monthly fluctuations—is driving stockpiling.⁵

Budget Maximization Strategy

GlobalServe works closely with finance and procurement teams to help align budgets without compromising future plans. Here’s how we support smarter spending:

• Review open POs to ensure on-time fulfillment and avoid last-minute rushes
• Consolidate smaller orders to reduce freight and administrative costs
• Identify critical hardware or services that should be purchased early to avoid delays
• Reallocate underused budgets across regions to prevent overspending in others

Tech Updates

GlobalServe’s integration with ServiceNow and OneSource is designed to streamline procurement and reduce errors. Key features include:

• Auto-creation of purchase requests that sync directly into OneSource
• Real-time tracking of procurement status without switching platforms
• Error reduction through integrated fields and pre-filled data

As more organizations transition to remote work to reduce operational costs, GlobalServe offers comprehensive support to make the process seamless, including:

• End-to-end logistics for delivering devices to new hires and retrieving equipment from departing employees
• On-site technical support for remote employees during setup
• Certified data wiping and hardware destruction for environmentally responsible asset disposal

Let GlobalServe be Your Trusted Partner in Managing IT Assets

Ready to future-proof your IT supply chain to maximize your budget? Engage our GlobalServe Team today to schedule a strategy session with our procurement experts or call 1.888.800.0416 to speak with a trusted solutions advisor to get started.

Tags:
• Blog
• Global IT Procurement
• GlobalServe
• Supply Chain
• Supply Chain and Lifecycle
• supply chain optimization