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

by Anna Ellegaard Buhl

3 min read

8. January 2026

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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 gets confused with more activity:

More products, more customers, and more decisions – but not necessarily more value.

It can seem like a natural process: One new product variant. One special supplier agreement. One new process.

Individually small choices - collectively the start of a self-reinforcing spiral.

If you don't have control over complexity, a negative loop emerges, driven by a lack of alignment and insight.

The consequences are many:

Wrong priorities, poorer KPI performance, rising obsolescence, and ultimately increased costs – and those are just the financial consequences.

Because as complexity grows, so does the pressure. And that has organisational consequences too.

It’s not just numbers: it’s people

You probably don't experience it as "complexity" yourself.

You experience it as a day-to-day where decisions don't add up.

It can be a deeply frustrating situation:

Sales operates from one reality. Procurement from another. Finance from a third.

Everyone is trying to do the right thing.
But you're steering towards different goals.

This is where complexity starts to cost you.

And the result isn't just a poorer basis for decision-making – it's a culture where everyone is constantly falling behind.

It creates conflict, firefighting, and constant pressure on the people who need to keep operations running.

The result is familiar:

Backorders increase.
Obsolete inventory grows.
Service becomes more expensive.
And customers start to feel it.

Because when decisions don't align, neither does the business.

The missing connection

So you think you're growing – but in reality, your costs are growing faster than your top line.

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

The core problem isn't growth.
The core problem is that you can't see what growth is costing you.

Because wicked problems arise when the organisation doesn't see the connection between decisions and consequences.

Therefore, the problem isn't growth itself.

The problem is unhealthy growth: growth without insight, shared prioritisation, and visible consequences.

Change your mindset and break the circle

It's easy to get lost in complexity.

To stay on track, you need insight into your entire business:

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 vicious cycle is broken.

So you're no longer lost in complexity – you're navigating by it.

When insight creates action

End-to-End restores alignment 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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