Prewave returns as Platinum Partner for CPO Outlook 2026, bringing four years of practitioner insights on moving beyond Tier 1 visibility
When Prewave first partnered with CPO Outlook in 2023, the conversation around supply chain risk was already shifting. Three years later, that shift has become a transformation. The gap between organizations with deep supply chain visibility and those without has widened considerably.
Prewave joins CPO Outlook 2026 as Platinum Partner for the fourth consecutive year. Continuing a partnership built on one shared conviction: procurement leaders learn most from each other and experts through informal conversations. Not from sales pitches.
The visibility gap in Nordic procurement
EBG | Network’s spring 2025 surveys paint a clear picture of where Nordic procurement stands on risk management. And where the gaps remain.
In the EBG | Xperience Gothenburg survey, three-quarters of respondents identified “lack of visibility beyond Tier 1” as their single biggest risk management challenge. When asked about their actual supply chain visibility, 71% described it as “limited”. They have only partial insight into Tier 2 suppliers. None of the respondents reported achieving end-to-end supply chain transparency.
The CPO Outlook 2025 survey (available to those attending the summit and taking the survey) reinforced this finding from a different angle. 29% of procurement leaders cited supplier visibility as a major operational bottleneck. Meanwhile, 60% pointed to “data chaos” as hindering their effectiveness. Nearly three-quarters (74%) struggle specifically with low-quality or missing data.
From compliance burden to competitive advantage
The regulatory environment has intensified since Prewave’s first CPO Outlook partnership. The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), EU Deforestation Regulation, and German Supply Chain Act (LkSG) have transformed Tier-N visibility. It is now a legal requirement for many organizations.
Yet the EBG | Xperience survey suggests that 57% of Nordic procurement professionals view geopolitical and regulatory uncertainty as a significant challenge. This indicates that many are still working to translate compliance requirements into operational practice.
Four years of practitioner-led insights
What distinguishes Prewave’s participation in EBG | Network events is the consistent focus on practitioner perspectives rather than product demonstrations.
At CPO Outlook 2023, Kärcher’s sourcing and procurement leadership shared their journey. They focused on implementing holistic supplier risk management. Their presentation explored the organizational changes, process redesigns, and technology decisions required to meet Germany’s Supply Chain Due Diligence Act requirements. This offered attendees a practical roadmap from a company navigating similar challenges.
At CPO Outlook 2024, Volvo Group’s Supply Network Resilience team presented their experience managing risk. Their efforts span a complex global supply network across multiple production countries. When the Baltimore bridge incident occurred in March 2024, their integration with Prewave enabled rapid impact assessment and mitigation planning. The result was zero production disruption.
Yanfeng, the global automotive interior supplier, demonstrated at CPO Outlook 2025 how the same platform supports sustainability compliance. Their presentation on moving from ambition to action highlighted their integration of risk assessment into sustainability governance. They use it alongside industry auditing frameworks and supplier ratings to drive development. Not just monitoring for violations. A key insight from their experience: risk management and sustainability compliance are deeply interconnected. Organizations benefit from treating them as unified challenges rather than separate workstreams.
Building risk management maturity
The EBG | Xperience survey revealed that 68% of Gothenburg attendees describe their risk management approach as “proactive/structured” – a positive indicator. Yet only 7% have reached an “integrated/data-driven” level. None reported achieving “leading/optimized” status.
This maturity gap aligns with what Prewave has observed across their customer base. Their risk management maturity model progresses from mandatory compliance to multi-tier proactive risk management. Each level delivers incremental business value. This ranges from efficient compliance to proactive resilience to full multi-tier visibility.
The CPO Outlook 2025 survey supports this progression. In fact, 48% of respondents identified risk management as a priority competency for their teams. They rank it alongside supplier collaboration and just behind digital tools and automation (64%).
What to expect at CPO Outlook 2026
Prewave’s participation at CPO Outlook 2026 reflects the event’s continued commitment to peer-to-peer learning. Rather than traditional vendor presentations, Prewave will facilitate discussions drawing on real-world implementation experience from their customer base.
At EBG | Xperience Gothenburg in spring 2025, Carolina Koivisto, Prewave’s Senior Account Executive, led focused sessions on the practical challenges identified in surveys. They focused on building Tier-N transparency, integrating risk management with sustainability compliance, and moving from reactive to proactive approaches.
For CPO Outlook 2026, the focus will continue on operationalizing risk management strategies. It explores how organizations are addressing environments where 57% cite geopolitical uncertainty. Moreover, 32% struggle to balance cost pressures against compliance requirements.
About Prewave
At Prewave, we’re committed to enhancing supply chain transparency, resilience, and sustainability. As pioneers of an end-to-end and future-ready sustainability, risk, and compliance platform, we strengthen supply chains. We safeguard clients’ reputation and profitability. Our advanced AI and comprehensive platform future-proof supply chains and deliver remarkable results. They ensure compliance globally.
Learn more via prewave.com
About EBG | Network
For over 15 years, EBG | Network has connected procurement and finance professionals across the Nordics and beyond through a different kind of event experience. Our summits and conferences – including CPO Outlook and EBG | Xperience – are built around peer-to-peer knowledge.
What sets EBG | Network apart: extensive curated experience exchange. An EBG event features facilitated roundtable discussions and Theme Discussions led by practitioners sharing real implementation experiences. Gatherings include structured networking designed to surface the insights. These insights only emerge when professionals facing similar challenges, together with experts, learn from each other.
Our sponsors – like Prewave – participate by bringing their customers and know-how to share authentic experiences. They contribute to discussions as subject matter experts and engage as peers rather than presenters.
Join EBG | Network
Whether you’re a procurement leader looking to benchmark your practices against Nordic peers, or a solution provider committed to genuine knowledge exchange, EBG | Network offers multiple ways to engage:
- CPO Outlook – Our annual summit bringing together senior procurement leaders for strategic discussions on the trends shaping the profession
- EBG | Xperience – Focused half-day events in Nordic cities. It dives deep into specific themes like AI adoption, risk management, and digital transformation
- Webinars and interviews – Year-round digital content featuring practitioner perspectives and market intelligence
Explore upcoming events and join the Nordic procurement community and sign up today.
Survey sources:
CPO Outlook 2025 Survey, September – November 2025 (results available to attendees taking the survey)
EBG Xperience 2025 Survey (Gothenburg), Spring 2025