As supply chains push deeper into AI and data-driven tools, many companies are running into a quieter problem: communication. Outdated ways of sharing information can slow decisions and create errors that undermine even the best technology. In this interview, Guy Courtin, VP of Industry and Global Alliances at Tecsys, explains why communication, not software, is often the biggest roadblock.
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Supply Chain 24/7: You’ve said the real bottleneck in supply chains isn’t technology; it’s communication. Can you elaborate?
Guy Courtin: When we think about the supply chain, the biggest issue we have is trust, and trust is built on communication. Technology only helps when people can share clear demands and signals in real time, with clean data. When people in the nodes of the supply chain doubt each other, miscommunication and lack of trust add cost and delays to the overall function of the chain. We have the tools and solutions we need today, yet people still must communicate and align for it to be a well-oiled machine. Good data plus clear words beat new features that no one uses, and none of it works without a solid data foundation and trust.
SC247: That story about a major manufacturer still using fax really stands out. How common is that kind of outdated communication?
GC: It sounds unbelievable in today’s world, but it’s still more common than you’d think. You still see faxes and a lot of spreadsheets being passed around as part of the daily workflow. The reality is that, globally, there are still many outdated technologies in the supply chain and across business in general. From a supply chain perspective, when you’re working with partners across the globe, you can’t assume every organization is using the latest technology or even reliable networks to communicate, so they use what works. In fact, according to Harvard Business Review, 59% of organizations stated they rely on either completely or partially outdated tools to manage their supply chains, and 44% of executives said they face challenges accessing data due to too many legacy systems.
Old tools aren’t always bad or wrong, but they can slow things down. You just can’t share fast, clean signals when half of what you’re trying to communicate is being done via dated systems.
Guy Courtin
SC247: What do companies lose when messages or data get “lost in translation” between partners?
GC: When communication starts to break down, you lose trust, then time and money. Paper gets lost, whether physically or in translation, and bad information spreads fast across the supply chain. A messy 3 could look like an 8, and suddenly, orders are shipped incorrectly. Small errors grow as they pass from dock to dock. You also see hedge buys or extra stock when teams doubt the data. That is how a small mistake turns into a big shortfall.
SC247: Everyone’s rushing to bring AI into the supply chain, but do you think poor communication could slow down that transformation?
GC: With AI in the supply chain, the important foundational piece is the data. Clean data drives communication, trust, and transparency throughout the chain. If the data isn’t clean, AI models will miss key facts and simply automate bad or incorrect assumptions before you have the chance to correct them. A lot of AI hype skips over the foundational elements, which hurts adoption, but the truth is that AI won’t fix poor communication; it will only expose it. Supply chain leaders should start with cleaning up their data hygiene and then pick use cases where AI meaningfully helps their supply chain’s needs.
SC247: When you talk about digitizing communication, what does that actually look like in practice?
GC: Digitizing communication really comes down to creating shared, structured ways for suppliers and manufacturers to exchange information. As I always say, it starts with clean data, which comes from good data hygiene, along with a shared understanding of what information needs to move between parties. From there, it’s about building or agreeing on processes and standards, which also includes making practical decisions on things like how often to send updates, because while data can be transmitted every 5 seconds, many partners might only need it every 30 minutes. Communicating and establishing a clear digitization process is a joint effort between suppliers and manufacturers, and it defines how the information exchanged is actionable rather than excessive.
SC247: For leaders who think their communication is “good enough,” what signs should make them realize it’s holding them back?
GC: Watch for stockouts, blind spots, overstock, or even missing orders. Issues often start with smaller signals that bubble up and eventually point to larger breakdowns within the network. Regardless of size, it’s important to watch for the signs of miscommunication within the supply chain. Strong leaders and organizations continuously check for gaps or friction points that slow down operations and work proactively to fix them, so disruptions don’t catch their teams off guard.
SC247: Once companies start modernizing, how quickly can they see real improvements in visibility and accuracy?
GC: Once companies open better channels of communication, they will start seeing improvements surprisingly fast. Better visibility and cleaner data lead to greater accuracy and, over time, build (or restore) trust with partners. Turning the “lights on” by modernizing can be daunting, as it might expose problems that were always easier to ignore. But once clear, reliable data starts flowing end-to-end through the supply chain, both suppliers and partners benefit from tighter operations, increased visibility, and improved performance.
