Technology
Making tech work for you
Technology runs through all our Supply Chain, Outsourcing, and 3PL Support projects but we don’t look at it as IT consultants. We start with your operation and ask one question: does your system truly support how you want your business to run?
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In our projects we target the gaps causing pain today. Then we align process and system capabilities to get more from what you already have. Only after that do we consider plug-ins or bolt-on sidecar apps to extend functionality.
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We are excited about AI and composable, bolt-on sidecar apps. But we also know they only deliver when workflows, data, and execution are already strong. Get the basics right first, and they accelerate performance. Skip them, and they won’t.
basic philosophy
​Technology is core to logistics and supply chain management, and it is a major recurring theme in our Supply Chain Reviews, Outsourcing and 3PL Support projects where we aim to help companies unlock more value from both legacy technology and new investments.
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Our basic philosophy is simple: Operational strength drives performance; technology enhances it. WMS, TMS, OMS, and similar systems only succeed when built on well-defined processes and objectives.
legacy systems
Our System Sucks! We hear this a lot from brands and 3PLs when we discuss their logistics and supply chain challenges. And yes, some systems truly are flawed. Many warehouses still operate on 20 to 25-year-old platforms that were never designed for today’s speed or complexity. On top of that, during large ERP rollouts, the warehouse and logistics teams were often last in line, ending up with underdeveloped, under-maintained, “red-headed stepchild” WMS and TMS modules that never quite delivered what operations needed.
buying new systems
In today’s logistics environment, companies rush to adopt new technologies like Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Transportation Management Systems (TMS), Order Management Systems (OMS), and more recently, Artificial Intelligence (AI).
These solutions can absolutely transform operations but without rethinking your objectives, workflows and strengthening operational basics, even the most advanced systems will fall short. For example, we have seen companies invest heavily in a modern WMS only to recreate their same legacy processes inside it, leading to the same old problems.
Replacing core operating systems is a huge, complicated and disruptive task. Many companies underestimate it. Unless a core system can fundamentally not or no longer support the business model, we often advise clients not to rip them out and jump immediately into costly, organization-wide system replacements.
bringing in fix logistix
We don’t approach technology as IT consultants. We start with your operations and ask ourselves, how do your systems support your process.
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The path forward we propose, often looks like this:
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Identify and prioritize the gaps causing pain today.
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Align process and system capabilities to better utilize the systems you already have.
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Expand system capabilities with plug-ins or composable, bolt-on sidecar apps
Align process with system capabilities
It is important to realize that setup, integration, data accuracy, and operational discipline often matter just as much as the tool’s built-in capabilities. This applies both to legacy and new systems.
We find that most WMS and TMS platforms support reasonably efficient processes, even the older legacy ones. What holds back performance is not the software but unclear workflows, poor data, weak governance, and the absence of disciplined operational management. Addressing these basics combined with training and change management often go along way in improving basic operations.
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Understanding this, is the first step to process improvement.
add missing capabilities
Expanding functionality using plug-ins or composable, bolt-on sidecar apps is gaining a lot of traction in the world of logistics and supply chain management. These are small, purpose-built tools that run alongside your WMS/TMS/ERP and fill operational gaps fast and without huge efforts or costs.
Composable “sidecar” applications are rapidly reshaping how logistics and supply chain teams extend the value of their core WMS, TMS, and ERP platforms. Instead of costly, high-risk system replacements, these lightweight plug-ins add targeted capabilities, such as data cleansing, rate optimization, appointment scheduling, dock visibility, cartonization, labor planning, or exception management—exactly where operational gaps exist.
Sidecar tools deploy quickly, integrate through APIs, and evolve independently of the core system, allowing teams to move faster, experiment safely, and capture ROI in weeks rather than years.
Most importantly, they let operations stay focused on execution while innovation happens in parallel, without disrupting the backbone systems that keep the business running.
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so, what about AI?
We get this question a lot. And, yes, AI shows real promise in logistics in general and an increasing number of the composable, bolt-on sidecar apps listed above incorporate it. Still, AI is not a miracle cure.
A growing body of literature on success and failure in AI projects clearly shows that it only works when the foundations are solid. Clean data, clear processes, and disciplined operations matter just as much as the algorithms behind them.
The truth is simple: AI and composable, bolt-on sidecar apps succeed for the same reasons any system succeeds. Strong workflows, good data, clear goals, and consistent execution drive far more impact than the technology label. Get the basics right first, and AI becomes a powerful accelerator. There are no short cuts, not even with AI.
lets talk about this
Discussing the pros and cons of automating logistics and supply chain processes and how best to go about that is one of our favorite topics. We look forward to discussing this with you and your team.