ITMATTERS [ INSIGHT ]
by Brandon D. Bishop Director of Marketing, Bear Cognition Inc. bbishop@bearcognition.com | 800-659-9177
How Data Can Fix Demand Matching Supply-demand mismatches are more than just inconvenient; they are costly. From inflated transportation spend to missed SLAs, poor alignment erodes both profitability and customer trust. The solution? Advanced analytics, not just for hindsight, but for foresight and real- time agility. standardize pricing recommendations, and cut processing time on cost analysis. The result? More operational bandwidth and greater profitability and visibility at the lane and customer level, leading to smarter long-term pricing strategies.
These kinds of improvements are not rare. When analytics become part of the daily workflow rather than just an end-of- month report, organizations see gains in both performance and responsiveness. LASTING CHANGE STARTS WITH CULTURE Even the best systems fail without adoption. That’s why successful organizations align technology with culture, investing in user-friendly tools, frontline training, and shared workflows. Insightful visualizations, automated alerts, and exception-based reporting ensure everyone operates from the same playbook. Some take it further by adopting a Software-with-a-Service model that combines AI-driven tools with hands-on expertise. This ensures the system adapts as the business evolves. So, ask yourself: Is your data working for you, or are you still working around it? In a world where margins are thin and expectations are sky-high, the smartest supply chains won’t just have the most data. They’ll be the ones that know exactly what to do with it.
forgotten. They show what happened but not what to do next. Forward-thinking supply chain teams don’t just view data; they embed analytics into workflows, triggering real- time, automated responses based on real-world signals. This isn’t reporting. It’s decision-making on autopilot. For example, if demand surges in the Southeast while freight is delayed from the Midwest, a smart system can model alternate routes, reassign available fleet assets, alert customers of adjusted SLAs, and recommend spot market purchases with risk-adjusted pricing. This is embedded intelligence, shifting from “what happened” to “what should we do now?” Analytics drive the most value when tied to measurable outcomes such as reduced delays and improved margins. Take a large 3PL provider that manually reviewed thousands of invoices, leading to inconsistent pricing and margin erosion. By applying advanced analytics to historical transactions, the 3PL was able to identify underperforming routes,
Traditional forecasting relies on historical sales, seasonal patterns, and gut instinct. But when availability is disrupted, static forecasts fall short. Modern analytics solutions integrate real-time signals—from SKU-level sell-through to transportation lead times—enabling supply chain leaders to adjust quickly. One big barrier to agility? Disconnected systems. It’s common for WMS, TMS, ERP, and procurement systems to operate in isolation, forcing teams to reconcile data manually. Analytics platforms that create a single source of truth unify this fragmented environment. Imagine a logistics dashboard that layers warehouse inventory, shipment ETAs, carrier scorecards, and customer orders, all in real time. Now imagine that dashboard recommending actions such as reallocating inventory or reprioritizing purchase orders. This level of intelligence transforms passive data into a proactive decision engine. Let’s face it. Most dashboards are static snapshots that are often glanced at and
72 Inbound Logistics • January 2026
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