Why too many systems create more problems than solutions
Companies have spent the past decade adding layer after layer of digital systems to manage logistics, transportation, and fulfillment. Investments accelerated in 2024 as organizations poured millions into artificial intelligence and automation. Yet reports show that critical areas of supply chain operations remain underfunded. Businesses end up with more tools, but not necessarily better results.
The problem is not the absence of software. It is the overlap and fragmentation of the technology stack. Executives describe their collections of systems as “unmanageable and out of control,” a phrase echoed in recent supply chain podcasts. One survey of more than 800 professionals confirmed this tension: 44% expect sustainability requirements to shape global trade, 29% believe regionalization will take the lead, and 25% point to protectionist policies. Managing these competing pressures with disconnected systems only magnifies the difficulty.
Global supply chains that stretch across the United States, United Kingdom, and BRICS countries move data and goods at massive scale every day. Without a single platform that unifies warehouse, transport, and order management, teams struggle to keep pace. Instead of providing clarity, fragmented stacks generate silos, redundant data, and slower decision-making.
This article examines why the fragmented approach falls short and why supply chain unification offers a more direct path to efficiency and resilience.
What is a supply chain tech stack?
A supply chain tech stack is the set of digital systems that companies use to manage logistics and trade. At its core, it combines tools that handle planning, movement, storage, and customer delivery. The most common systems include:
- ERP systems that oversee finance and planning
- TMS (Transportation Management Systems) that direct how goods move between locations
- WMS (Warehouse Management Systems) that organize inventory and distribution
- OMS (Order Management Systems) that control customer orders and fulfillment
- Analytics and AI tools that improve forecasting and decision-making
In theory, these platforms should align and create a continuous stream of information from planning to delivery. In practice, most organizations still operate in silos. Finance, logistics, and operations teams often work in separate applications that do not share data effectively.
A unified model changes this dynamic. In a unified platform, a shipment created in the warehouse is the same record followed through transport and visible to order management. Teams do not reconcile duplicates or wait for delayed integrations. Fragmented stacks, by contrast, force constant reconciliation and generate errors that consume time and resources.
The tech stack problem
The rapid expansion of digital supply chain systems has created almost as many obstacles as it has delivered improvements. Executives in global logistics often describe their technology stacks as “unmanageable and out of control.” Every time a company adds a new tool, the number of integration points multiplies. Instead of simplifying operations, the stack becomes heavier and harder to maintain.
The results show up in four critical ways:
- Data silos block teams from working with a single source of truth.
- Legacy and cloud platforms prove difficult to connect and maintain.
- Licensing and middleware drive hidden costs that drain budgets.
- Slow decision-making emerges as visibility becomes inconsistent across departments.
Global trade dynamics intensify these weaknesses. In a recent poll with more than 800 participants, 44% said sustainability demands will set the course for global trade, 29% predicted regional trade will dominate, and 25% pointed to protectionist policies. These competing priorities require quick, coordinated decisions. Fragmented systems make that coordination almost impossible, leaving businesses reactive rather than prepared.
Integration vs. unification: what’s the difference?
When supply chain systems spiral into complexity, most companies reach first for integration. They connect separate applications with middleware or custom-built connectors. This approach can offer short-term relief, but it never removes the underlying silos. Data still lags, workflows remain fragmented, and visibility breaks down across departments.
Unification follows a different path. Instead of linking disconnected systems, it consolidates core workflows into one platform. As a Manhattan executive explained: “There’s a lot of misconceptions about unification… here at Manhattan, we’ve created one single platform that allows us to support those different workflows without any integration.”
This shift has real consequences. In a unified model, a shipment entered in the Warehouse Management System (WMS) is the same record tracked in the Transportation Management System (TMS). Teams do not duplicate data or reconcile mismatched entries. This consistency is possible because modern platforms are built cloud-native, with a microservices design and an API-first framework. These features allow businesses to scale globally without adding more layers of integration.
Key benefits of supply chain unification
Companies that adopt unified platforms achieve clear operational and financial gains. They replace fragmented workflows with a single system that manages shipments, inventory, and orders consistently across the supply chain. The most important benefits include:
Real-time visibility
Every stakeholder works with the same live data across warehouse, transport, and order management. Teams monitor shipments without delays or reconciliation, which shortens lead times and improves coordination.
Lower operating costs
Organizations cut redundant software licenses and reduce reliance on middleware. IT departments spend fewer hours maintaining custom integrations, freeing resources for higher-value work.
Scalability
Cloud-native platforms expand far more efficiently than on-premise systems. Companies roll out updates, new regions, or added capacity without heavy infrastructure investments.
Collaboration
Logistics, procurement, and operations teams rely on one shared version of the truth. This alignment removes the friction of cross-department reporting and supports faster collective decision-making.
Disruption response
Consistent data across regions—from North America to BRICS trade lanes—enables rapid adjustments when disruptions occur. Unified systems reduce recovery time and minimize financial losses.
Customer experience
Accurate tracking and reliable delivery strengthen trust with buyers. End customers receive precise updates rather than vague estimates, which improves satisfaction and repeat business.
Future-proofing
Unified data models make regulatory and sustainability reporting straightforward. As environmental requirements tighten in the EU and other markets, businesses with unified stacks will adapt faster.
Leading vendors already emphasize expanded TMS and WMS capabilities in their 2025 roadmaps, signaling that unification is no longer an experiment—it is becoming the standard.
Emerging trends reshaping the tech stack
Several forces are pushing supply chains toward unification. Companies that want to stay competitive must adapt to these shifts quickly.
Cloud-first architecture
Software-as-a-Service platforms deliver flexibility that legacy applications cannot match. Businesses deploy updates faster, expand capacity without new hardware, and scale across regions with less risk.
APIs and modular design
Modern platforms use open APIs and modular components that extend functions without brittle integrations. Teams add features, carriers, or partners directly, instead of building custom connectors that later become costly to maintain.
AI and predictive analytics
Artificial intelligence requires unified, reliable data streams to provide accurate forecasts and recommendations. Fragmented stacks limit the value of AI because the system receives incomplete or conflicting data. Unified platforms ensure clean inputs, which drive more precise predictions.
Sustainability demand
In a recent poll of over 800 professionals, 44% said environmental requirements will define the future of global trade. Unified platforms make compliance easier by consolidating data used to calculate emissions, track carbon footprints, and meet reporting standards. This is especially relevant in the European Union, where rules on supply chain transparency continue to tighten.
Regionalization and protectionism
The same poll showed 29% expect regional trade to grow and 25% anticipate rising protectionism. Unified systems give companies the agility to respond. They reconfigure carrier networks, adjust shipping lanes, and rewrite trade rules quickly, without waiting for disconnected systems to sync.
Business outcomes: why it matters now
The case for supply chain unification is no longer theoretical—it delivers results today. Manhattan Associates, founded in 1990 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, employs more than 4,000 associates worldwide. Its unified platform shows how companies improve execution across transportation, warehousing, and order management by removing silos and running on a single data model.
At the annual Momentum conference, customers present case studies that highlight consistent performance gains. They report fewer handoffs between systems, shorter cycle times, and measurable efficiency improvements. These outcomes go beyond IT upgrades. Unified platforms function as strategic assets that strengthen resilience in an environment defined by geopolitical shifts, shifting trade patterns, and unpredictable demand.
Industry pulse: what the market says about the future of trade
The supply chain community itself provides a window into shifting priorities. In a recent audience poll with more than 800 participants, respondents were asked: What will shape the future of global trade? The results showed a divided outlook:
- 44% pointed to sustainability requirements.
- 29% expected regional trade to dominate.
- 25% believed protectionism would play the leading role.
One participant captured the uncertainty bluntly: “The US and Great Britain will slowly be a shutout of the new global trade order led by BRICS. Western world living standard is lowered to match that of a developing world. Global trade is being rewired, reshuffled and reshaped into multipolar order. But a lot of crazy insane things will happen along the way.”
These perspectives underline the fragmented nature of today’s trade environment. Companies must respond to sustainability, regionalization, and protectionism at the same time. Unified platforms give them the ability to align digital capabilities with these shifting realities instead of reacting through disconnected systems.
Frequently asked questions on supply chain unification
Supply chain leaders often search for practical answers about unification, tech stacks, and future trade trends. Below we address the seven most relevant questions, starting with the main issue from this article’s title and then covering the most common queries raised by professionals.
What is included in a supply chain tech stack?
A typical tech stack combines ERP for planning, TMS for transportation, WMS for warehousing, OMS for order fulfillment, and analytics or AI tools for forecasting. While these systems should align, many remain disconnected, forcing teams to reconcile data across silos instead of working with one truth.
What are the main problems with fragmented supply chain systems?
Fragmented systems create four major issues: data silos, poor integration between legacy and cloud tools, hidden costs from licenses and middleware, and slower decision-making. These problems make it hard for companies to adapt to disruptions or meet rising demands for sustainability, regional trade, and compliance.
How does unification differ from integration?
Integration connects separate systems with middleware, which only masks silos. Unification goes further by consolidating workflows into one platform. For example, a shipment recorded in WMS is the same record in TMS. This eliminates duplication, accelerates decisions, and reduces the cost of managing multiple integrations.
What benefits do companies see from unifying their supply chain?
Companies report seven clear gains: real-time visibility, reduced operating costs, greater scalability, smoother collaboration, faster disruption response, stronger customer trust, and simplified sustainability reporting. These improvements help businesses expand globally while staying agile in regions such as North America, Europe, and BRICS trade corridors.
What trends are driving supply chain unification in 2025?
Five trends accelerate unification: cloud-first platforms, open APIs, modular design, AI-driven forecasting, and sustainability requirements. Audience polls show 44% of professionals expect environmental rules to shape trade, while 29% predict regionalization and 25% anticipate protectionism. Unified systems position companies to adapt to these pressures quickly.
Which companies already use unified supply chain platforms?
Manhattan Associates, founded in 1990 and headquartered in Atlanta, is a leading example. The company employs more than 4,000 associates worldwide and built a cloud-native, microservices-based, API-first platform. Its single data model ensures shipments remain consistent across warehouse and transport, reducing reconciliation work and speeding execution.
Vendor snapshot: a unification-first platform in practice
One clear example of unification in action comes from Manhattan Associates, a long-standing supply chain software provider.
- Founded: 1990
- Headcount: More than 4,000 associates worldwide
- Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia
- Technology: Cloud-native platform built on microservices with an API-first design
The company’s defining feature is its single data model. As one executive explained: “A shipment within warehouse is the exact same shipment that’s in transportation management.” This approach eliminates duplicated records, reduces reconciliation work, and gives teams immediate access to consistent information. The result is faster decision-making, lower IT overhead, and a more resilient platform that scales across regions.