“This Whisper Report investigates where AI most often fails in ones supply chain. It synthesizes expert perspectives gathered at Manifest 2026 on the recurring breakdown points. Areas affected span logistics and operations, including real‑time data limitations, challenges translating analytics into actionable decisions, and the need for measurable business value. The report incorporates insights from Asendia’s Michael Lorentzen, Rufus Lab’s Gabe Grifoni, and Aptean Supply Chain’s Allan Dow.”
Published to clients: December 30, 2025 ID: TBW2114
Published to Readers: December 31, 2025
Whisper Email Release:
Public/Video Release:
Analyst(s): Dr. Doreen Galli
Photojournalist(s): Dr. Doreen Galli
Abstract
“This Whisper Report investigates the biggest supply chain risk CIOs ignore. It captures urgent insights from Retail, Supply Chain, and Logistics Expo revealing how external shocks, demand disconnects, and fragmented systems quietly erode resilience. Industry leaders share candid perspectives on tariffs, inventory pitfalls, and costly tech missteps—issues that can derail growth overnight. If you think your supply chain strategy is future-proof, this report may challenge everything you assume about stability.”
Vice President of Supply Chain, Vice President of Operations, Director of Logistics, Director of Procurement, Director of IT, Director of Inventory Management
Supply Chain Analyst, Logistics Coordinator, Procurement Specialist, Inventory Planner, IT Systems Analyst, Operations Scheduler
Key Takeaways
External shocks like tariffs and conflicts can cripple supply chains without proactive disruption modelling.
Demand disconnects from stockouts or overstock erode customer trust and lifetime value.
Fragmented systems and poor tech choices lead to costly inefficiencies and integration failures.
What’s the biggest supply chain risk CIOs ignore?
We took the most frequently asked and most urgent technology questions straight to the professionals gathering at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the Retail, Supply Chain, and Logistics Expo. This Whisper Report addresses the question regarding the biggest supply chain risk CIOs ignore as depicted in Figure 1.
1. External Shock Exposure
Diving into this question, Lufthansa’s Ingo Pietruska went straight to the point. “Tariffs and supply chain interruptions.” When suddenly the world changes in terms of who can supply globally or what it costs or how long it will take – it’s a risk. In 2025 it may be all about Tariffs but in 2020 it was all about Covid and in 2022 it was all about the Ukraine/Russia conflict. In many years, hurricanes disrupt many trade routes. While each of these is technically unexpected, they shouldn’t be. As first discussed in Whisper Report: Can generative AI prevent supply chain disruptions?, organizations should develop a disruption threat model to maximize resiliency when external shocks are experienced. Clients should be sure to schedule an inquiry on the topic so we can guide you in establishing the framework.
2. Demand Disconnects
Our second risk comes from Warehouse Craft’s Steve Harris. He believes the biggest risk, “is stockouts are the biggest problem a company can have. I should say in addition to overstock. So, managing that JIT for your inventory is really important.” Of course JIT or just in time is great for minimizing costs except in the external shock exposure scenarios. Many wanted to expedite shipments to avoid tariffs. Others, without back-up inventory suffered greatly during covid when workers were too sick to work.
Expanding on the stock issue, Midstates Group’s Taylor Wensmann takes a step back. “is capacity. What are you going to do when a high volume of orders come through? Do you have the team and the support to be able to fulfil and meet all your customers’ expectations and deadlines to keep those customers as lifetime values? If you’re promising and committing to an order getting shipped and then you don’t ship it, you just increase the likelihood of losing that lifetime customer by 40%.” In both cases, the supply chain is disconnected from and unable to meet demands of the customers and therefore the business.
3. Disconnected systems
Supply chain and logistics involves many moving pieces. To succeed one needs a cohesive, coherent picture of what is going on. With the many varieties of external shocks creating regular demand disconnects, the solution must be functional and agile. Unfortunately, many get advice from the wrong places. MetaOption’s Naushad Ahmed shared a story about a vendor that previously convinced someone into using a completely different tech stack from their existing solution. Nonetheless, the client, “decided to move forward whenever they have implemented. One of the biggest pain points and they actually ended up spending a huge amount of money hundreds of thousands of dollars into that solution.” Selecting the wrong components or an integration partner with no experience or expertise can be quite expensive. Be sure to work with your independent industry analyst at TBW Advisors LLC to review all strategies, proposals and architectures – even if the work is outsourced.
Retail Supply Chain Expo and the related 4 events including White Label Expo brought approximately 9,000 attendees to the Las Vegas Convention Center. TBW Advisors LLC captured over 60 minutes across 49 segments including a livestream and expo hall walkabout. Our coverage focused on the technology presented along the lifecycle of a retail product. This edition includes four unlisted Whisper Report playlists and concludes with a video montage answering: “What’s the best part about attending the combo event live in Vegas?”
A community of roughly 9,000 gathered for a collection of events held together with no admission charge. We focused on the Retail, Supply Chain, and Logistics Expo 2025. Concurrently with shared expo hall was also the White Label World Expo, Smart Retail Tech, as well as the E-Commerce Packaging & Labelling Expo
The event featured 200 exhibitors and over 75 expert speakers on 11 different stages.
Cautions
Friendly reminder: this research provides examples of what was shared with us at the event, not an evaluation, validation, or recommendation of the given technology.
After 49 videos and over 60 minutes of video including a livestream and over a dozen fact checks, our coverage of Retail, Supply Chain, & Logistics Expo closes. This combination event is collocated and hosted with the White Label World Expo, Smart Retail Tech, as well as the E-Commerce Packaging & Labelling Expo. Despite multiple events, registration was quite simple. As seen in the expo hall walkabout, together one could create a business end-to-end or find any partner you needed to collaborate with. Interestingly much of the types of technology found we have covered at events throughout the year. The difference being while Manifest had an entire aisle on 3rd party logistic providers and Pack Expo may have had an entire floor on automation, this event likely only features one to a handful of a given category. While the entire HR Tech was dedicated to HR and recruiting technology, a few were in expo hall. Likewise, Many found this set up to be quite conducive to finding prospects albeit predominately mid-market and smaller. That said, keynote speakers were frequently from Fortune Companies; thus, large enterprise market was still present. The event was held in the Las Vegas Convention Center in South Hall Upper which did have the in-hall eatery open. Guests declared that prices were ‘not that bad’.
We once again live streamed from on site. On Wednesday requesting those attending to find me to answer Questions 1-3, to introduce all to TBW Advisors LLC, and requesting assistance. Specifically, I requested assistance on your favorite videos for my segment on the October 24th broadcast edition of Computer Talk Radio.
While at Retail, Supply Chain, and Logistics Expo 2025, we conducted research for three additional forthcoming Whisper Reports for our clients. The playlists are unlisted but available and will eventually fill in with the video version of the report so you may wish to bookmark these playlists.
Readers and viewers wishing to experience the entire event are encouraged to view the Conference Whispers: Retail, Supply Chain & Logistics Expo Playlist in its entirety. The playlist is listed in the end screen, description, and as a pinned comment of the video edition.
The video edition will conclude with gratitude towards those that contributed and a montage of responses to Question 4, “What’s the best part about attending the combination event live in Vegas?”.
For those exploring retail, retail complex or resort management solutions, R2M2 was on site. Want to ensure you have surveillance around your property? If surveillance including instant set up is critical for your business, SCT Surveillance wants to share their solution with you. Perhaps you are a small retail shop. You used the build your own website tools to create your web presence. Now you are seeking the same type of platform to create your POS system for your business. If that description fits you, meet FinalPOS. If you cannot find the software off the shelf you are seeking, perhaps DreamzTech’s software development at $20 an hour fits your needs. Prefer an Agentic AI solution that was trained explicitly for logistics? Backops AI was the vendor in this category at the show.
In retail, improving customer experience can be the key for many brands to differentiate themselves. On the global stage, if your organization is attempting to provide Track and Pay to Asia, Lufthansa has their unique solution ready to deploy for you. Perhaps you are attempting to expand to Latin America but don’t know where to start? Bazarup has a solution that can enable you to penetrate the entire market.
Seeking enterprise logistic sophistication for your SMB or boutique organization? MetaOption would like to speak with you. For attendees mapping out their processes from printing labels through delivery, Midstates Connect suggested their one-warehouse 3pl (3rd party logistics ) solution. If fast and highly flexible describe your needs – oloround 3PL may align with your interests. Simply seeking a platform, you can leverage for your own 3PL? Warehouse Craft was excited to share their fresh platform that resulted from a decade in the business.
On the highly sophisticated side of things, if your assembly is no ordinary assembly. Specifically, if your organization requires high touch assembly and wants to find it stateside. Good News! PGS 360 was on expo floor looking to speak with you. However, if you want to add automation even though your warehouse is a complete brownfield with no intention of changing processes? Yondu had their exciting innovation bringing automation where no one has dared to go before – the brownfield.
The combination event including Retail, Supply Chain & Logistics Expo 2026 will once again return to Las Vegas and will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center on September 23& 24th.
Public edition with video coming October 22!
*When vendors’ names are shared as examples in this document, it is to provide a concrete example of what was on display at the conference, not an evaluation or recommendation. Evaluation and recommendation of these vendors are beyond the scope of this specific research document. Other examples products in the same category may have also been on display.
