Wicked problems in the supply chain - and why growth isn’t always the answer

3 min read

8. January 2026

Is a more-is-more mindset harming your business?

It’s in an organisation’s nature to grow. Business is going well. Suddenly, new opportunities arise: new customers, new markets, and new products.

The development always starts with a small thing: A new customer asks for a new variant. Sales agrees, and so does production because that’s what they are used to. Supply chain finds an alternative solution, but no one really has any oversight of the consequences.

Each time this happens, complexity increases.

And even though it seems like a small decision, it's the start of a classic wicked problem – a problem that grows every time you try to solve it.

Caught in a viscous circle

A wicked problem arises when growth is seen as "more products, more customers, and more activity" instead of more value.

At Inact, we connect it with a negative, self-reinforcing loop, driven by a lack of connection and insight.

It can seem like a natural process: One new customer variant. One special supplier agreement. One new process. Individually small choices - collectively the start of a self-inforcing spiral.

When you make seemingly "small" decisions that aren't based on data but on gut feelings, it starts a chain reaction of complexity. Among other things, it creates wrong priorities, worse KPI performance, increasing obsolescence, and ultimately increased costs – and those are only the economic consequences.

It’s not just numbers: it’s people

When complexity increases, pressure increases. And that has organizational consequences.

It can be a deeply frustrating situation. Three departments. Three agendas. Three different data foundations – and no common direction.

The result isn't just a worse decision-making foundation – but a culture where everyone is constantly behind.

It creates conflicts, firefighting, and constant pressure on those who have to make operations work.

When collaboration falls apart, KPIs fall with it. Service costs rise. Obsolete inventory grows. Customers lose trust. And ultimately, it costs in terms of well-being, brand, and bottom line.

The missing connection

So you think you're growing – but in reality, your obsolete inventory is growing faster than your top line.

This makes it difficult to see exactly where you should start and what you should prioritize.

The core problem is communication. Because wicked problems arise when the organization isn't connected, and when customers, products, and suppliers aren't seen in one context.

So the problem isn't growth itself, but unhealthy growth that arises due to lack of insight and connection.

Change your mindset and break the circle

With so many optimization points, it's easy to get lost.

To break the negative loop, you need insight into your supply chain: A picture that shows the connection between customers, products, and suppliers – and what actually creates value.

That's exactly what our customer-driven Supply Chain Intelligence offers.

With Inact's End-to-End solution, you get:

- A common data foundation across the organization

- Clear insight into where complexity arises – and what it costs

- The ability to prioritize the right customers and products

- A manageable supply chain where decisions are made based on facts, not feelings

When you gain oversight of where value lies, decisions automatically change. And when decisions change, the negative loop is broken.

So you no longer get lost in complexity; you manage according to it.

When insight creates action

End-to-End re-establishes the connection and gives you insight into your complexity, so you can make your supply chain commercial, data-driven, and profitable.

Because when you break the negative loop, complexity doesn't just disappear – you unlock the potential for growth, profit, and collaboration.

That's what Inact's customer-driven supply chain management is all about.

Want to see where your negative loops start — and how you break them?

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