Supply Chain Now

The Quantum Paradox: What Supply Chain Leaders Need To Know

4 snips
Mar 25, 2026
Guest
William McNeill
Guest
Akhilesh Agarwal
William McNeill, VP of Market Intelligence, former Gartner analyst focused on supplier risk and emerging tech. Akhilesh Agarwal, President of P2P Solutions, leads supplier information and product strategy. They discuss quantum computing’s clash with encryption, how quantum could unlock deep multi-tier visibility, the harvest-now-decrypt-later threat, and practical 12–24 month steps for preparedness.
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INSIGHT

Why Apex Issued The Quantum Warning

  • Apex wrote the white paper because they manage 250M golden records and $10T spend, creating a moral obligation to protect client data from future cryptographic threats.
  • Akhilesh warns current encryption will be insufficient within ~5 years and proactive industry-wide action is needed now.
ANECDOTE

Wake Up To A Quantum Decryption Morning

  • Akhilesh contrasts AI's sudden consumer arrival (ChatGPT) with a future quantum morning when archived encrypted data could be decrypted, causing catastrophic breaches.
  • He stresses this is a when-not-if problem and large firms need multi-year roadmaps now.
INSIGHT

Quantum Paradox Forces Immediate Cryptography Action

  • The paradox: quantum computing may or may not fully materialize, yet cryptographic standards and regulatory moves require action now.
  • William points to NIST/ISO timelines and industry mandates that make preparation necessary regardless of quantum's fate.
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