When you walk the floor at Gartner, every vendor promises transformation. Every demo looks polished. Every platform claims to “optimize” your supply chain.
But the real difference lies beneath the surface, in how solutions help your business make faster and more confident decisions when reality doesn’t go as planned.
Before you sit through another glossy demo, take a step back and focus on the questions that reveal substance over show.
1. How does your solution improve decision speed and quality?
Why this matters: Forecast accuracy is table stakes. Faster isn’t always better if you can’t explain how you got there.
Ask vendors how their solutions help teams make informed, transparent decisions across planning, supply and finance.
The best tools shorten time to insight while keeping planners in control, making trade-offs explicit and ensuring every decision can be explained, audited and trusted.
2. How do you model real-world constraints and exceptions?
Why this matters: No two supply chains are the same. The details that define your operation often define success.
Every manufacturer has its own realities: campaign sequences, batch formulations, shelf-life limits, allergen cleanouts or unexpected quality holds. Ask vendors how their platform captures those constraints within the model itself, not through external spreadsheets or costly custom code. Can the system understand what truly limits capacity, what’s flexible, and what must follow a specific sequence?
The most effective solutions mirror how your network actually runs, handling exceptions as part of everyday planning, not as after-the-fact fixes.
If a vendor can’t demonstrate how their software reflects those nuances, you’ll be managing the same firefights under a new logo.
3. How flexible is your platform as my business evolves?
Why this matters: Change is constant. New products, shifting regulations, acquisitions and new service expectations continuously evolve. The system you invest in today must evolve with you tomorrow.
Ask vendors how easily their platform adapts when those changes happen. Can you reconfigure business rules, add new sites or adjust objectives without a full-scale reimplementation? Or will you need to call in developers every time your network shifts?
True flexibility comes from composable, configuration-driven design, not hard-coded workflows that break under change. The right partner will let your team adjust parameters and policies on their own, keeping control in your hands while preserving the integrity of the plan.
If a solution can’t flex without major disruption, it won’t just slow you down, it will lock you into yesterday’s version of your business.
4. How do you balance automation with human judgment?
Why this matters: Automation is powerful, people make a real difference. The goal is to empower them with clearer insights and more time to focus on what matters.
Ask vendors how their platform keeps planners in the loop. Does it provide explainable recommendations with clear reasoning behind them? Can planners override, adjust or simulate alternate scenarios without losing control of the plan?
The best solutions combine intelligent automation with human expertise. They flag risks early, recommend next-best action and let teams decide which trade-offs make sense for the business. Arkieva combines AI with explainable decision support, empowering planners to act confidently with full context and control.
5. What happens after the implementation?
Why this matters: Transformation doesn’t end when the software goes live, that’s when the real work begins! The difference between success and frustration often comes down to how much support you have once the implementation team leaves.
Ask vendors what “partnership” looks like after go-live. Will you have access to practitioners who understand your industry’s realities? Will the same people who configure your solution stay involved as your business evolves? Or will you be handed off to a support queue?
Long-term success depends on a partner who measures outcomes in your results, not installs.
At Arkieva, we see go-live as the starting line, not the finish line. Our teams stay involved to ensure your planning keeps improving, adapting and delivering value over time.
Lead the Right Conversations in Denver
The best conversations at Gartner start with the right questions.
Arkieva will be at the 2025 Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit in Denver on December 2–3, helping leaders evaluate planning solutions that deliver measurable, lasting impact.
