Cisco Systems retains top spot in Gartner supply chain ranking

Technology conglomerate Cisco Systems retained its top position in Gartner Inc.’s Supply Chain Top 25, an annual listing of leading supply chain companies, released today.

This is the second year Cisco took the top spot and the 17th year Gartner has compiled its list, drawn from a combination of the Fortune Global 500 and the Forbes Global 2000 and with a threshold of $12 billion in annual sales. The researcher evaluates companies on two main components: business performance, in the form of public financial and ESG (environmental, social, governance) data, and opinion, which gauges future potential and reflects the companies' leadership in the supply chain community, according to Gartner.

“In our 17th edition of the Supply Chain Top 25 we saw organizations continuing to deal with the effects of Covid-19 on their businesses. Therefore resiliency and agility capabilities became essential to survival,” Mike Griswold, vice president team manager with the Gartner Supply Chain practice, said in a statement. “Our ranking highlights companies that possess these strategies and other differentiating capabilities.”

Strong revenue growth, strength in ESG initiatives, and its recognition as a leader in community opinion polls drove Cisco to the top of the list, according to Gartner. Rounding out the top five were Colgate-Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, Schneider Electric, and Nestlé. In addition, four companies joined this year’s list for the first time: Dell Technologies, Pfizer, General Mills, and Bristol-Meyers Squibb.

Each year, Gartner identifies three key trends that characterize the Top 25, and this year it came down to being an integrated, purpose-driven organization; embracing customer-driven business transformation; and operating a digital-first supply chain.

More information on the report is available on the Gartner website.