Why Supply Chains Still Fail Despite Billions Spent on TMS, Planning Software, and Visibility Tools—And What Decision Intelligence Fixes
Introduction
Companies worldwide spend more than $25 billion every year on systems such as TMS software, planning tools, and supply chain visibility platforms. These investments support critical operations, but most supply chains still face delays, quality issues, rising costs, and unpredictable performance.
In this article and video, Decklar explains why these technologies alone have not solved the problem and how unified visibility and Decision Intelligence close the operational gap that planning tools and visibility platforms cannot.
Watch the Video
Key Takeaways
- Modern supply chain tools help, but they do not eliminate late shipments or quality issues
- Nearly 60 percent of shipments still arrive late and 17 percent face preventable quality problems
- Reusable assets often deliver less than one quarter of their potential value
- The missing link is real-time context and actionable intelligence
- Unified visibility and Decision Intelligence connect data to decisions and outcomes
The $25B Paradox: Why Supply Chains Remain Inefficient
Despite record technology spend, core operational problems continue. Data from global operations shows that almost 60 percent of shipments still arrive late and another 17 percent experience quality issues. Reusable assets such as pallets, containers, and totes remain underutilized, creating shortages, delays, and unnecessary capital spend.
The ripple effects are significant:
- higher inventory carrying costs
- production planning challenges
- missed delivery windows
- elevated detention and demurrage fees
- rising insurance claims and premiums
- manual firefighting across the supply chain
- unpredictable revenue cycles
These issues persist because existing technology categories solve different parts of the problem without connecting them into actionable intelligence.
Why Current Supply Chain Tools Cannot Fix the Problem
Most supply chain technology fits into one of two buckets, and both have limitations.
Systems of Record: Powerful but Not Real Time
ERP systems, TMS platforms, and planning tools depend on manually entered or batch-updated data. They excel at long-term planning and coordination but lack real-time awareness. They cannot answer time-sensitive questions such as “What just happened?” or “What changed since the plan was created?”
Visibility Tools: Good at Basic Alerts but Not at Decisions
Visibility platforms report location, temperature, condition, route changes, and delays. But an alert is not an action. A temperature excursion or an unplanned stop does not tell a supply chain leader what to do next. Visibility alone does not solve problems.
The Core Disconnect
Systems of record plan the work.
Visibility tools observe the work.
Neither tells you what to do in the moment or what to anticipate next.
This is where Decision Intelligence creates a breakthrough.
The Opportunity: Real-Time Visibility with Business Context
Decklar connects visibility data with operational context, providing meaningful, decision-ready information. This approach allows teams to:
- see what is happening across the supply chain
- understand the underlying reason
- determine the best next action
- automate routine decisions
- forecast disruptions and outcomes
In other words, visibility becomes actionable intelligence.
The Three Categories of Supply Chain Gaps That Exist
Decklar’s work with global enterprises reveals three major gap categories.
Manual and Error-Prone Operations
Goods receipt remains highly manual, with limited audit trails and slow dispute resolution. Quality release processes depend on data loggers and incomplete records, limiting oversight and delaying response.
High-Risk Operations Vulnerable to Disruptions
Detention and demurrage fees remain a major cost driver for ocean shipments. Security incidents continue to impact electronics, pharmaceuticals, and high-value products. Insurance processes are slow, paperwork heavy, and expensive.
Performance and Forecasting Blind Spots
Replenishment cycles are still driven by manual checkpoints rather than real-time ETA. Premature or delayed asset returns impact production and distribution. In-transit, revenue forecasting remains highly variable because arrival times, unloading, and goods readiness remain unpredictable.
These gaps persist not because tools are missing, but because intelligence is missing.
How Visibility and Decision Intelligence Close the Gap
Decklar’s approach evolves in three stages.
Stage 1: Unified Visibility Across Modes & Product Flows
Achieve end-to-end visibility across ocean, air, road, rail, and intermodal shipments. Use sensor-driven visibility for critical flows and milestone visibility for lower-risk goods. Customers consistently reach 100 percent visibility coverage across shipments and assets.
Stage 2: Turning Visibility into Decisions
Convert real-time visibility into operational action by automating routine responses, reducing manual communication, and resolving exceptions faster. This stage answers the question: “What now?”
Stage 3: Using Intelligence to Predict What Comes Next
Apply historical and real-time data to forecast disruptions, create recommendations, and anticipate operational risks. This stage answers the question: “What if?”
Together, these stages transform supply chains from reactive to predictive.
Why Visibility and Decision Intelligence Matter Now
Supply chains do not fail from lack of data. They fail because data is fragmented, delayed, and not connected to action.
Unified visibility provides the full operational picture.
Decision Intelligence provides the recommended next step.
Together, they enable supply chains that operate with accuracy, predictability, and resilience.
See Decklar in Action
Request a personalized demo to see how real-time visibility and Decision Intelligence power smarter, faster supply chain decisions.
