Supply Chain Technology: What It Is And How It Helps Your Business

Key takeaways

• Adopt digital tools like tracking and automation to gain visibility and keep goods moving when conditions change.
• Prioritize digitizing payments, since most small carriers still rely on slow paper checks that strain cash flow.
• Recognize that supply chain disruptions have eased since the pandemic but still pressure many small businesses.
• Start small by digitizing payments first, then add shipment tracking and connect your accounting tools.

What is supply chain technology?

Supply chain technology is the set of digital tools that help businesses plan, move, track, and pay for goods. It brings together software and systems that give teams a clearer view of their operations.

In practice, that includes transportation management systems, real-time shipment tracking, automation, and digital payment platforms. The goal is simple. Give businesses better information so they can keep goods and money moving when conditions change.

A global storm in the freight industry

The freight industry has weathered some of the worst freight disruptions in recent U.S. history. During the pandemic, congestion at U.S. ports caused severe, widespread delays for shippers, according to the Federal Maritime Commission.

Small businesses felt the strain most. One survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and MetLife found about 30% of small businesses are unable to keep up with customer demand because of supply chain disruptions.

For years, the global supply chain ran quietly in the background. Now it’s part of mainstream conversation, and business owners everywhere are paying closer attention to how goods get from point A to point B.

Key technologies transforming supply chains

Money is following the shift. Investment in supply chain technology surged during the pandemic and, while it has since cooled, venture funding still reached about $15.4 billion in 2024, according to a Kearney analysis.

That funding powers the tools businesses now rely on to keep freight moving. A few stand out:

• Transportation management systems (TMS): Software that helps plan, book, and track shipments in one place.
• Load boards and freight exchanges: Online marketplaces that match available freight with carriers who can haul it.
• Digital payment platforms: Tools that let businesses pay and get paid online, without paper checks or manual steps.

These tools also answer a question that keeps business owners up at night. Where’s my money?

Digitizing payments is crucial for SMBs

Freight is big business, but most of it runs on small operators. In the U.S. trucking industry, which generated about $906 billion in revenue in 2024, roughly 91% of carriers operate 10 or fewer trucks, according to the American Trucking Associations. Most of these are very small businesses that run just a handful of trucks.

For operators like these, cash flow is everything. Slow, manual payments tie up money they need to keep rolling. That’s a big reason many are moving away from paper checks and toward digital tools.

The time savings can be real. For example, upgrading from the manual processing of customers’ credit card payments to Melio’s online payment system saved New York-based forwarder Janel Group 7.5 hours a week in payment processing time.

Moving forward with tech

Supply chain technology isn’t going anywhere. The businesses that adopt it now will be better prepared for whatever comes next. Digital payments are a simple, high-impact place to start.

With Melio, you can pay your business bills the way that works for you, including the option to pay with credit cards, so you hold onto your cash a little longer. Sign up for Melio and start moving your money with less friction.

Supply chain technology FAQs