Sourcing professionals today expect more than just availability; they want predictability, transparency and speed. DigiKey’s procurement operations team is tasked with meeting similar goals. Below, company procurement experts Krista Alby, director of procurement operations, and Kyle Nelson, senior manager of demand planning, share their outlooks and best practices as we move into the new year.   

DigiKey’s focus for 2026 

Like sourcing professionals across different business sectors, DigiKey’s internal procurement team also prioritizes efficiency and transparency. Our data science specialists are automating and digitizing many of our processes, enabling our procurement experts to concentrate on more strategic tasks. With all the information our team gathers, there are many opportunities to enhance procurement insights, strengthen supplier relationships and focus on strategic initiatives.  

For much of 2025, our team was focused on mitigating tariff risks. As we move into 2026, the focus is shifting toward balancing inventory levels. Given the many market and supply chain fluctuations, our team is exploring how to develop automated processes to handle uncertainties like extended lead times and price fluctuations. We stay in constant contact with suppliers to understand issues related to allocations and lead times, so our customers have the most accurate and timely information possible when making purchasing decisions.  

Take advantage of digital solutions 

While most technology inventories have returned to normal levels, we expect demand to remain stable in 2026, but we are seeing some surges in pockets of demand. For example, AI and memory components are becoming increasingly popular, which can affect availability and create supply chain fluctuations. If you are planning to source products from any high-demand categories, we recommend automating as many processes as possible to help mitigate uncertainties.  

We have seen that moving to digital solutions, such as application programming interfaces (APIs), can reduce the time it takes to gather pricing and availability data by as much as 90 percent. When we look at the typical journey of a business that wants to be more digital, 95 percent of the time, they digitalize price and availability functions first. 

By moving to digital solutions, procurement professionals can also access product pricing and availability in real time. They can secure pricing automatically without waiting for someone on the other side to do it for them. If price or lead times change, procurement professionals can access those changes instantly and optimize cash flow while preventing shortages.   

At DigiKey, we stay ahead of trends and customer demand by constantly monitoring a robust set of internal market indicators. This helps us anticipate trends, strategically position inventory and respond quickly to shifts in demand or lead times. When demand shifts, our ability to swiftly reallocate inventory ensures lead time extensions don’t catch our customers off guard. Our main goal is to ensure our customers receive the products they need, when they need them, regardless of market conditions. 

For more information on how to get started with DigiKey’s digital solutions, visit https://www.digikey.com/en/resources/business-solutions/digital-solutions.