The Future (Or End) Of Supply Chain Visibility

Mar 03, 2025

Is supply chain visibility a product or feature?

I first raised this question in an April 2022 post. Here’s an excerpt of what I wrote at the time:

To derive business value from visibility, you have to do something with the data and insights collected. It’s the doing, the actions taken to improve your transportation and logistics operations, for example, that ultimately delivers value. This is where enterprise software applications like transportation management (TMS), warehouse management (WMS), and yard management (YMS) come in.
In short, even for this new generation of supply chain visibility providers, visibility is becoming a feature of a broader supply chain software platform. The end game, if there is one, is to create the largest network of connected trading partners with the broadest set of software applications on top. As I’ve said before, in the world of supply chain and logistics, it will no longer be just software that will be eating the world (to use Marc Andreessen’s famous quote from 2011), but software and networks.

So, yes, I was (and still am) on the “visibility is a feature” side of the debate.

I am revisiting this topic because of an announcement made by FourKites last week. The company announced that…

Latest Indago Research Report: Trump Tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China

The Trump administration announced 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, and 10% on goods from China. Assuming these tariffs are implemented and last for several weeks or months, how much of an impact will they have on your supply chain operations? Which country affected by the tariffs is the most critical to your supply chain? How confident are you in your company’s ability to adapt to these trade policy changes?

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