Third-Party Risk Management Report 2026 – Summary & Insights

The 2026 Global Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) survey highlights that as organizations increasingly rely on a complex network of vendors, suppliers and technology partners, managing third-party risk has become a critical strategic priority. Rapid digital transformation, expanding global supply chains and growing cybersecurity threats have reshaped the landscape, moving TPRM from a check-the-box compliance activity to a necessary component of operational resilience. Based on insights from 851 professionals globally, the report explores how organizations are evolving their frameworks, adopting new technologies like AI and integrating risk functions to meet heightened regulatory and operational pressures.

Key Insights 

• Survey Demographics: The survey gathered insights from 851 professionals across various regions (54% Americas, 30% EMA, 16% ASPAC) and sectors, including healthcare (21%), technology (19%), and financial services (19%).
• Incidents of Loss: One-third of surveyed organizations suffered monetary loss or reputational damage in the past three years due to third-party issues.
• Supply Chain Disruptions: 28% of organizations faced supply chain disruptions within the last three years.
• Top Risk Drivers: Cybersecurity (48%) and regulatory compliance (45%) are the primary drivers of current TPRM strategies.
• Spending Priorities: Organizations prioritize spending on risk assessment and due diligence (52%), followed by TPRM technology and tools (51%).
• Integration Gaps: Only 18% of TPRM programs are “fully integrated” with Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), while 53% are “mostly integrated”.
• Network Expansion: 83% of executives plan to expand their partner networks in the next one to three years.
• Alignment Challenges: 71% of executives admit they struggle to get their partners to align on organizational goals.
• Data Quality Concerns: Only 17% of leaders report having high-quality, reliable data underpinning their TPRM programs.
• AI Adoption: Over half of organizations (50%–58%) claim to use AI in some capacity, but only 22% find it “very effective”.
• Managed Services: While over 80% of organizations use some form of managed services or outsourcing, only 5% have adopted end-to-end managed services.
• Vendor Risk Concentration: In large organizations with tens of thousands of vendors, typically only 10% to 20% pose the high risks that warrant deep investigation.

Conclusion

The report concludes that TPRM is at a tipping point where organizations must move beyond reactive, manual processes toward proactive, data-driven resilience. To be future-ready, leaders are advised to break down functional silos, invest heavily in data integrity, and shift from broad screening to a laser-focused, risk-based model. While technology and AI offer immense promise for streamlining the third-party lifecycle, their success depends on a foundation of trustworthy data and intentional, end-to-end orchestration rather than isolated use cases. Ultimately, achieving true resilience requires weaving risk management into the core of an organization’s strategy and culture.

You can check out the full report here.