Every year-end brings the same question for companies: what should we change to make next year better? Leadership teams meet to review goals, budgets, KPIs, and projected scenarios. But in the midst of all this planning, many organizations forget the most important purpose: designing a resilient operation. In today’s volatile environment, where supply chains shift overnight, regulations evolve constantly, and transportation costs remain unpredictable, annual planning shouldn’t be an exercise in prediction, but in preparation.

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• Planning isn’t about anticipation: it’s about building flexibility

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For years, business planning has been based on assumptions: market behavior, exchange rates, projected demand, or delivery times. However, 2020 proved that no plan, no matter how detailed, survives unscathed once it meets reality. The companies that best navigated crises weren’t those that planned the most, but those that could adapt the fastest. That’s why truly strategic annual planning isn’t about getting every forecast right; it’s about ensuring that, no matter what happens, the company can continue operating, delivering, and growing. That’s the essence of operational resilience.

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• What does operational resilience really mean?

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Operational resilience isn’t just about “resisting impact.” It’s about anticipating, adapting, and emerging stronger from challenges. In logistics, this concept takes shape at multiple levels:

• Diversification of suppliers and routes: Depending on a single source or port is like putting all your eggs in one basket. A delay or closure can halt the entire chain.
• Traceability systems and real-time analytics: Knowing what’s happening at every stage of the operation allows you to react before problems escalate.
• Contingency plans and alternative agreements: From cargo insurance to partnerships with multiple logistics providers.
• Internal training: Teams that understand processes and know how to make informed decisions respond better to any contingency.

A resilient company doesn’t improvise when something fails: it already has a Plan B (and C).

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• The common mistake: planning for “the ideal”

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Many annual plans fail because they’re built on perfect scenarios. Transportation costs will remain stable, deliveries will arrive on time, permits will be approved without issues… But in reality, there are always deviations, and every unforeseen deviation can cost thousands (or even millions) of dollars. That’s why modern operational planning focuses on simulating adverse scenarios, not avoiding them on paper. What happens if your foreign supplier raises prices by 15%? Or if a container gets held up in port for a week? Answering those questions before they happen is what separates a solid company from a fragile one.

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• From forecasts to priorities

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Annual planning should be less about building a task calendar and more about mapping priorities. It’s not just about what we’re going to do, but about what we must protect.

• Which processes are critical to keep the operation running?
• Which areas are most vulnerable to disruption?
• Which logistics or commercial partnerships could reinforce our stability?

Answering these questions helps reallocate resources and attention toward what truly matters.

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• The role of logistics in resilience

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In today’s context, logistics has stopped being a tactical area, it’s now a strategic pillar of organizational resilience. A company may have the best product in the world, but if it can’t move it efficiently and compliantly, growth stops. Ensuring customs compliance, planning alternate routes, and maintaining full supply chain visibility are no longer competitive advantages; they’re minimum conditions for survival. So, as you build your 2026 plan, ask yourself:

• Is my logistics network designed to withstand disruptions?
• How quickly can I respond to regulatory or cost changes?
• Am I making decisions based on updated data or last year’s assumptions?

The most successful companies won’t be those that “planned best,” but those that learned fastest and knew how to adapt their strategies along the way.

Annual planning isn’t a list of resolutions. It’s an opportunity to strengthen your operation; to build processes that learn, evolve, and endure the unexpected. Because in a world where the only constant is change, the true competitive advantage isn’t efficiency… It’s resilience.