The findings come from a Deep Current survey of 162 logistics companies involved in international freight movements, including freight forwarders, 3PLs and mid-sized carriers. Respondents were based in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, France, Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, representing a mix of mature and emerging logistics markets.
Companies ranged from SMEs to large enterprises, with nearly half employing fewer than 200 people — a group the researchers say is often most affected by integration costs and legacy IT constraints.
Widespread delays linked to document errors
According to the survey, 57% of logistics executives experienced shipment delays in the past year directly caused by document errors, such as missing HS codes, mis-typed consignee addresses or incomplete information. A further 42% said they had lost revenue opportunities because manual administration slowed client onboarding or limited their ability to scale, while 36% reported compliance penalties arising from documentation issues.
A Netherlands-based operations director with 40 years of industry experience remarked that small errors — such as missing stamps or incorrect codes — continue to halt cargo flows, adding that teams “spend half the day chasing papers instead of moving cargo”.
Customer-facing tools lead digitalisation
When asked where digitalisation has progressed most, respondents pointed to customer-facing functions:
- 55% use digital systems for shipment tracking and visibility
- 41% use document auditing and compliance tools
In contrast, internal processes remain far more manual. Only 24% said they had digitised internal document handling end-to-end, and 61% still rely on emails and spreadsheets to communicate with overseas partners — despite recognising digitalisation as “mission critical”.
Legacy systems remain the main obstacle
Respondents highlighted several barriers that continue to slow progress:
- 47% cited integration with legacy systems as their biggest challenge
- 39% pointed to cost and unclear ROI
- 34% mentioned resistance to change within teams
- 31% lack the necessary in-house digital expertise
- 27% said many vendor tools do not reflect real logistics workflows
A logistics professional from Germany noted that AI tools are often marketed as universal solutions but do not always understand operational realities such as incomplete commodity codes or address discrepancies.
Modular tools gaining traction
The survey indicates growing momentum toward practical, incremental digitalisation. Nearly half (49%) of respondents prefer modular tools that integrate with existing systems rather than replacing their TMS or ERP platforms, reflecting both cost pressures and the need to avoid operational disruption.
While 61% believe AI will play an important supporting role in future workflows, most said human expertise remains essential for decisions requiring contextual understanding — particularly in customs, compliance, and documentation-heavy processes.
Deep Current CEO Tamim Fannoush said the results point to a shift toward “integrate, don’t replace” strategies, as operators prioritise tools that can reduce errors and speed up throughput without major infrastructure changes.
