Last-Mile Delivery Exposes the Same Execution Gap Seen Across the Supply Chain

As supply chains stabilize at the macro level, pressure is shifting into last-mile operations, where performance is determined in real time. First-time delivery success, cost control, and service reliability depend less on planning accuracy and more on how well systems adapt once conditions change.

In response to a query from The Supply Chainer, Wim Mues, VP Sales & Marketing EMEA and North-America at Bluerock TMS, outlined three operational shifts driving improvement: “First, the integration of customer-level data (such as delivery preferences and constraints) directly into planning decisions. Second, the alignment of order, service, and driver data into a unified model. Third, the ability to act on that information at the point of execution, not just during planning.”

However, he pointed to a persistent limitation: “Optimization is still largely disconnected from execution. Plans are built on assumptions that rarely hold throughout the day, resulting in a consistent breakdown between expected and actual performance.”

Wim Mues, VP Sales & Marketing EMEA and North-America at Bluerock TMS

The same gap appears across the stack

That disconnect is not unique to last mile. It reflects a broader pattern across supply chain operations. In response to a media query from The Supply Chainer, Nitin Jayakrishnan, CEO and co-founder of Freehand, said: “Most companies don't lose when a corridor goes down, they lose in the 72 hours after while someone is still building the spreadsheet.” He added that the issue is not missing data, but fragmented systems that delay decisions even when the disruption itself is understood.

From a process perspective, Christoph “CJ” Schettler, Supply Chain Lead, North America at Celonis, described the same dynamic differently: “Many traditional planning systems suffer from ‘reaction delay’. Process intelligence enables companies to resolve disruptions… at the moment of impact.” His focus is on exposing what actually happens inside operations, where hidden inefficiencies and manual workarounds slow down response.

Looking at network-level coordination, Arun Samuga, Chief Innovation Officer at Elemica, framed the issue as structural: “Optimization is still largely disconnected from execution… Plans are built on assumptions that rarely hold throughout the day.” He pointed to the need for a shared execution layer that allows all partners to act on the same real-time context.

From optimization to execution discipline

Across last mile, logistics planning, and network orchestration, the pattern is consistent. The challenge is no longer generating better plans or more data. It is reducing the gap between signal and action.

For operators, that gap shows up in missed delivery windows, delayed rerouting decisions, and manual interventions that erode both cost and service performance. The companies that are improving outcomes are not necessarily those with more advanced planning tools, but those that can adapt execution as conditions change.

The implication is straightforward. Performance is no longer defined by optimization alone, but by how reliably that optimization holds up in real-world conditions.