52% of those in the logistics industry re-enter the same data into multiple systems…
49% switch between 5 or more platforms to complete a single workflow.
New Report: 52% Re-enter Data — 49% Switch Between 5 or More Platforms
It’s not a technology problem.
It’s an integration problem—and people pay the price every day in wasted hours.
The 6 pain points we see most often at manufacturing and distribution companies:
1. Manual planning hours and firefighting
2. Documentation scattered across emails and Excel
3. Unstructured CO₂ data
4. Long lead time from delivery to invoice
5. ERP integration requiring major projects
6. No comprehensive overview of operations and costs
The logistics industry is still lagging behind in digitalization
Despite decades of investment in digitization and artificial intelligence, the logistics and freight industry is still grappling with fundamental shortcomings in its digital infrastructure.
That is the conclusion of a new report from the German AI company Deep Current AS, which published the analysis “Levers of Digital Sophistication” in May 2026 .
The report examines why the industry is unable to scale automation at the same pace as other industries.
Half of them re-enter the data manually
The most striking finding in the report is that 52 percent of logistics employees re-enter the same shipping data into multiple systems, while 49 percent switch between five or more platforms to complete a single workflow. This paints a picture of an industry that, on the surface, resembles a modern, digitized sector, but which in practice is characterized by manual processes and system silos.
From Visibility to Execution
The report concludes that the challenge facing the industry is no longer primarily a lack of data insights. Most companies are already able to detect disruptions in real time. The challenge lies in the execution layer, where teams manually interpret, validate, and move information across disconnected systems. scm.dk
This gap between perception and action is clearly reflected in the figures: 61 percent of logistics teams still rely on email and spreadsheets for operational communication, 57 percent experience delays due to document errors, and only 29 percent have implemented digital tools in their core processes. This is a remarkably low percentage in an industry that otherwise emphasizes digitalization as a top priority.
Tamim Fannoush, founder and CEO of Deep Current AS, points out that the problem is not a lack of technology, but a lack of integration: “Many logistics organizations operate in environments where workflows are fragmented and require significant manual integration efforts across an average of more than five systems.” In other words, it is the employees themselves who serve as the link between systems that do not communicate with one another.
Five Levers for Digital Maturity
To help organizations transition from fragmented processes to fully integrated, AI-driven workflows, the report identifies five key “levers”:
- Integrated digital foundations — systems, data, and communication flows must be interconnected from the outset.
- Decision intelligence beyond visibility —the focus must shift from understanding what is happening to identifying the best courses of action.
- AI embedded in workflows — AI should be an integral part of work processes, not just a standalone tool added on.
- Predictive resilience — organizations must be able to anticipate and prevent disruptions rather than merely reacting to them.
- Governance and human-AI collaboration — a clear framework must be established to define when AI can act autonomously and when human judgment is required.
Overall Assessment
The report paints a nuanced picture of an industry in flux, but one that remains stuck in a transitional phase.
The investments have been made, the awareness is there, but true integration is lacking.
As long as employees act as human data conduits between systems that should be communicating automatically with one another, the benefits of digitization and AI will remain limited. It is not the technology that is lacking—it is the connectivity.
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