BUILDING THE SUPPLY CHAIN TECH STACK
to intervene before a loss occurs.” In addition too many shippers rely on visible devices attached to trailers or packaging for tracking. These devices can be easily removed. “True resilience comes from layering internal and external tracking with real- time sensor data to eliminate blind spots and ensure continuous monitoring,” Aaron notes. As cargo security concerns grow and the threats become more complex, freight fraud platforms have increased in prominence, and are frequently being used to complement a robust tech stack. “These tools help verify carriers, ag abnormal pickup patterns, and detect identity-based risks,” Aaron says. “When combined with real-time visibility and monitoring, they allow companies to identify suspicious activity much earlier in the process.” Experts agree it is essential to ensure that various tools in a tech stack will work together and allow for the addition of new systems. KEEPING CONNECTIVITY IN MIND “When making buying decisions, focus on interoperability and ease of integration as one of the decision criteria,” Moore advises. “It’s easy to nd a solution that can do what you want, but it’s never worth doing it at the expense of blocking future progress.” Prioritizing interoperability from the beginning is a good approach. “The easiest way to create friction is to buy tools that solve narrow problems but cannot talk to each other,” Lillevik says. “Supply chain touches systems across nance, legal, IT and operations, so whatever you implement needs to t into a broader ecosystem.” That means looking for tools that are built with connectivity in mind— open APIs, exible integrations, and centralized data models, for instance. The goal is to enable work ows that move smoothly across systems and teams and to avoid creating more silos.
Track-and-trace visibility tools like these from Tive are an essential part of a well-rounded tech stack. By oering real-time location, condition data, and authentication, these tools help companies spot problems and react quickly. In addition, sensors and digital tamper systems help to protect against cargo fraud and theft.
LIMITING FRAUD AND THEFT A strong tech stack provides companies with a clear picture of what’s actually happening across the supply chain. This visibility is key to ght increasing cargo fraud and theft. “When real-time location, condition data, authentication, and planning systems all work together, teams can spot problems earlier, verify drivers and handoffs, and react before a small discrepancy becomes a six- gure loss,” Aaron says. “Without that foundation, every process—routing, scheduling, carrier management, customer updates—is built on guesswork.” However, becuase many companies still operate with outdated visibility tools, teams see only static or delayed updates. Cargo thieves take advantage of that lag to reroute freight or tamper with loads without being detected. “Many companies also underestimate the value of real-time sensors and digital tamper seals,” Aaron adds. “These are no longer optional. They provide the earliest indicators of risks such as door openings, light exposure, unexpected stops or route shifts, and give teams the time they need
complexity in your processes, you should look for your technology providers to be able to support these desired, to-be processes,” he adds. Companies also need a full understanding of their current technology landscape. Questions they should ask include, “What technology is working? What is not working? Where are the real gaps both with current and potential future requirements?” Lillevik says. “Understand where your different technologies may have overlapping functionality and why one solution was chosen over the other in those cases,” he advises. Investing in a tool without understanding whether it meets the organization’s actual needs is one common mistake. This can result in a mismatch between the solution and the problem. “I’ve seen companies buy intake or orchestration tools because they think they need one, for example, but they never step back and ask what functionality they actually require,” Lillevik notes.
110 Inbound Logistics • January 2026
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