As global supply chains grow increasingly complex and economic headwinds persist, brands face mounting pressure to optimize their operations while controlling costs.
The result?
A technology landscape where companies must carefully balance innovation with pragmatism, seeking tools that deliver clear ROI without overwhelming already-at-capacity teams.
Based on a comprehensive survey of 90 supply chain leaders — primarily director-level and above at brands doing $50-250M in revenue — along with in-depth interviews with industry experts, this report examines how companies are navigating these challenges and where they’re placing their technology bets for the future.
Executive summary
The 2025 supply chain tech stack landscape reflects an industry at a crossroads.
Based on our survey, only 7% of brands report being “very satisfied” with their current technology solutions. This dissatisfaction stems from a fundamental tension: the need to innovate while operating under significant resource constraints.
Key findings
Integration remains the biggest challenge
- 60% of respondents cite lack of integration between tools as their primary pain point
- 50% struggle with limited visibility or reporting capabilities
- Despite these challenges, 41% still don't use any workflow automation platform
Cost pressures driving conservative tech adoption
- Budget constraints are the primary barrier to adoption for 45% of respondents
- Team bandwidth emerged as a critical limiting factor in write-in responses
- Mid-sized companies ($50M-$250M) struggle most with tech satisfaction
AI is reaching critical mass
- 52% are already using AI-powered tools
- 35% are planning to implement AI
- 54% view AI as “essential” to future operations
- Notably, zero respondents dismissed AI as overhyped
Supply chain visibility is emerging as a top priority
- Advanced supply chain visibility tools were cited by 53% as a key 2025 tech opportunity
- AI/ML for demand forecasting leads future investment priorities at 55%
- Financial visibility and reconciliation are emerging as critical pain points
What’s next?
Success will come to organizations that can make strategic technology investments while building the internal expertise to leverage them effectively. The challenge isn’t just selecting the right tools — it’s creating an integrated technology ecosystem that can scale efficiently while delivering clear ROI.
Report methodology
This report is based on a comprehensive survey of 90 supply chain and operations leaders conducted in early 2025 by Parabola and StartOps. The respondent pool primarily consisted of senior decision-makers at consumer brands:
Seniority level
Company size by annual revenue
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The survey covered current technology usage, satisfaction levels, pain points, and future investment priorities across key operational areas including:
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
- Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)
- Workflow automation
- AI implementation
- Supply chain visibility tools
- Inventory and demand planning