The Million-Dollar Labor Drain CFOs Keep Overlooking

You hire top talent to think strategically, not to spend their days buried in spreadsheets and chasing down data. But if you’re still running your supply chain on legacy planning systems, that’s exactly what’s happening.

And it’s costing you more than time. It’s costing you margin, productivity, and strategic agility.

The Manual Work No One Counts

Legacy systems weren’t designed for speed, integration, or automation. They require manual data entry, one-off reconciliations, and tribal knowledge. Planners spend hours every week pulling numbers from disconnected systems and cleaning them up just to build a forecast.

It’s grunt work—performed by high-value talent. And it adds up fast.

Imagine what your planners could be doing instead: scenario modeling, proactive risk management, collaborating with sales and finance, or identifying growth opportunities. Instead, they’re stuck in the weeds, manually fixing what the system can’t do independently.

What Happens When the Expert Leaves?

Most legacy environments rely on one or two internal experts who know how the system works. When that person takes a vacation—or worse, retires—operations stall. You’re left scrambling to figure out processes no one else understands.

That’s not just a knowledge gap; it’s a serious business risk.

IT Isn’t Immune Either

Legacy platforms also drain your IT team. They’re often based on proprietary, outdated architectures that require rare and expensive technical resources to maintain. Simple changes—like adjusting a planning rule or creating a new forecast—turn into weeks-long projects with high consulting bills.

You become dependent on external vendors just to keep the lights on.

The Vicious Cycle

This labor drain creates a vicious cycle. Manual processes slow down decision-making. Bottlenecks frustrate teams. Workarounds multiply. Errors creep in. And before you kBeforeat should be a straly chain turns into a reashould be active cost center.

It’s not a tech issue—it’s a talent utilization issue. And one that CFOs should be watching closely.

The Path to Efficiency (and Sanity)

Modern planning platforms like ketteQ remove the bottlenecks by automating low-value tasks and enabling collaboration across teams. With AI-powered analytics, real-time data, and scenario planning, teams can act instead of reacting.

Even better, these platforms are designed for business users—not just IT. That means faster changes, lower costs, and less reliance on consultants or “system whisperers.”

Companies like Trimble and Cosmetica Labs have already made the leap. They’re reporting 20–50% productivity gains, improved forecast accuracy, and significantly shorter S&OP cycles.

What Are You Really Paying For?

When you factor in manual labor, IT overhead, and consultant fees, the true cost of your legacy planning system may be much higher than you think. And none of it shows up in a single line item.

Ask yourself:

- How many people are involved in manual planning workarounds?
- How much time is wasted every week reconciling data?
- How reliant are we on one or two key individuals?
- How often are we paying for consultants just to make basic changes?

If these questions hit home, it’s time to take action.

Because the real cost of legacy planning isn’t just money—it’s missed potential.
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Download the full white paper: The Hidden Cost of Legacy Supply Chain Planning Systems: A CFO’s Perspective.

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