Inside enterprise supply chains: Tech, adoption & execution (Q&A)

Enterprise supply chains have never had more access to technology.

Most large organisations already run a stack of TMS, ERP, telematics, depot tools, carrier portals, and spreadsheets. Yet many still struggle to create consistent outcomes in the last mile.

Why?

In this two-part conversation, we sat down with Ryan Henderson, Head of Global Enterprise at Radaro, to unpack what’s really happening inside enterprise last-mile operations.

In Part 1 of this interview, we explore the biggest problems enterprise leaders are dealing with right now, and dive into issues around technology adoption – why programs stall, where friction really sits, and what separates fast movers from organisations stuck in perpetual rollout mode.

Question 1: What are the biggest technology and visibility challenges enterprise supply chain leaders are facing right now?

1. Fragmented systems and inconsistent data

Most enterprises have a mix of TMS, ERP, telematics, spreadsheets, depot processes, and carrier portals. The data does not line up, so leaders end up debating whose numbers are right instead of acting on them. The day to day impact is rework, manual follow ups, and reporting that arrives too late to change outcomes.

2. Exception management, not planning

Most businesses can plan a run. The pain is everything that happens after the plan meets reality: missed time windows, access issues, failed deliveries, damaged goods, driver delays, depot constraints, customer changes. Without tight exception workflows and clear ownership, costs blow out quietly through overtime, re deliveries, and WISMO calls.

3. Proving what happened at the doorstep

Proof is often still inconsistent: photos when required, signatures that are not defensible, incomplete completion codes, missing timestamps, unclear reason codes. That creates disputes, credit notes, charge backs, and customer friction. Visibility is only valuable if it is trusted.

4. Customer expectations are now “real time and proactive”

Customers want accurate ETAs, live tracking, and proactive updates when things change. Many organisations still operate on static windows and manual calls. That gap is where NPS drops and contact centres fill up.

5. Adoption and change management

Even the best platform fails if dispatchers, drivers, and customer service do not trust it. The challenge is less “new tech exists” and more “how do we get consistent use, clean data, and sustained behaviour change across sites”.

Question 2: Has the conversation around these challenges shifted recently?

Yes, the conversation has moved from digitising proof of delivery to building an operational system of record that can drive decisions in real time. There is more scrutiny from finance, so projects are expected to prove measurable value quickly, not over a long transformation cycle, which is why pilots and tightly defined success metrics are becoming more common. At the same time, businesses want speed to value without heavy IT lift, but they still expect enterprise grade integration, governance, and reliability, and that tension is where a lot of programs stall. Resilience is also now a core theme. Disruption is no longer the exception, so leaders are focusing less on perfect plans and more on repeatable processes that absorb volatility with minimal service impact.

Question 3: Where do you see the biggest disconnect between what executives think is happening in their last mile and what’s actually happening operationally?

Executives often see clean summary metrics and assume the operation is under control, while frontline teams live in the messy middle where outcomes are inconsistent and the real drivers of cost are not captured properly. A delivery can look on time on a dashboard and still be a failure because instructions were wrong, access was blocked, the drop was incomplete, the proof was not defensible, or the reason codes were vague. Another common gap is the belief that processes are standardised across sites, when in reality each depot has its own rules, exceptions, customer expectations, and workarounds that never make it into the reporting layer. There is also a tendency to confuse tracking with control. Seeing location data is not the same as having reliable exception workflows, clean completion outcomes, and clear ownership that prevents failures and disputes. That is why operational teams often feel like they are doing constant manual triage while leadership thinks the system is “working”.

Question 4: What are the biggest barriers to adopting new last-mile technology?

Data readiness is usually the first blocker. If addresses, customer instructions, job types, products, and completion codes are inconsistent, any platform will struggle and users lose trust quickly. The second barrier is unrealistic expectations set early, where the work is framed as simple, but implementation reality involves process design, training, and governance, which can feel like a mismatch if it was not positioned honestly. Integration ownership is another major friction point because IT, operations, and vendors can each assume someone else owns the build, testing, and change control. Then there is frontline resistance, which is often rational. If the tech adds steps, slows drivers down, or feels like surveillance instead of support, adoption will be patchy. Finally, competing priorities kill momentum. Peak periods, labour constraints, customer pressure, and day to day firefighting can push transformation into the background unless there is strong sponsorship and clear cadence.

Question 5: Why do some organisations move quickly, while others stall for years?

The fast movers have active executive sponsorship paired with operational leadership that owns outcomes, not just the project. They start with a narrow first win that matters, prove it quickly, and use that momentum to expand rather than trying to boil the ocean. They also run disciplined governance with clear success metrics, data standards, decision rights, and a weekly rhythm to remove blockers. The slow movers typically stall when ownership is unclear, scope keeps expanding, data is messy but no one is accountable for fixing it, and the program is treated like a software rollout rather than an operational change effort.

Question 6: What are Radaro’s recommendations when it comes to maximising buy in for new tech?

Start with outcomes rather than features and be specific about what “better” means, whether that is fewer failed deliveries, higher first time delivery, fewer WISMO calls, lower cost per stop, faster invoice approval, or reduced disputes. Secure sponsorship early, not just approval, because you need someone who will back the process changes required across sites. Bring dispatchers and drivers into the design early and build workflows that remove friction from their day rather than adding steps. Use a controlled pilot with clear scope, short feedback loops, and a simple set of weekly metrics that prove progress in operational terms. Keep onboarding realistic and phased, prove operational fit quickly even if you start unintegrated, then integrate once the business case is validated. Finally, use data driven reinforcement so teams can see wins, understand gaps, and build consistent behaviour over time.

Question 7: What will separate high performing supply chains from the rest over the next 5 years?

High performers will build operational truth that is captured once and trusted everywhere, so improvement is based on facts rather than debate. They will be faster at decision making, with clear workflows and ownership for exceptions so service failures are prevented rather than explained afterwards. They will treat technology adoption as an operational program with training, champions, governance, and continuous improvement, not as a deployment event. Customer experience will be treated as a supply chain metric, with accurate ETAs and proactive communication becoming standard. Finally, they will prioritise modularity and flexibility, configuring workflows by site, customer, and job type while still maintaining shared standards for data and reporting so the operation can scale cleanly.

The bottom line

Buying technology isn’t the hard part.

Every organisation can purchase platforms. The real difficulty is aligning data, ownership, workflows, and behaviour change across multiple sites and stakeholders – while delivering obvious outcomes that create ongoing buy-in.

If you have any further questions for Ryan, or are interested in learning more about Radaro’s last-mile delivery management software, contact us here or via email at support@radaro.com.au.

In Part 2, we’ll explore what “true visibility” actually means, why dashboards aren’t enough, and the real cost of blind spots in the supply chain.