Who's at fault?
Yellow sticky note asking 'Who's at fault?' in supply chain mystery
What is the evidence?
Yellow sticky note asking 'What is the evidence?' in supply chain investigation
Letter W from WHODUNNIT title in vintage crime scene style
Vintage paper tape securing Systems Architect suspect photo in WHODUNNIT title sequence Professional headshot of Systems Architect suspect in plum color scheme for supply chain mystery
Letter H from WHODUNNIT title in vintage crime investigation style
Letter O from WHODUNNIT title in vintage detective mystery style
Vintage paper tape securing Financial Analyst suspect photo in WHODUNNIT title sequence Professional headshot of Financial Analyst suspect in green color theme for supply chain investigation
Letter D from WHODUNNIT title in vintage mystery case style
Letter U from WHODUNNIT title in retro detective investigation style
Vintage paper tape securing Warehouse Manager suspect photo in WHODUNNIT title sequence Professional headshot of Warehouse Manager suspect in peacock blue color for supply chain crime
First letter N from WHODUNNIT title in vintage crime scene typography
Vintage paper tape securing Demand Planner suspect photo in WHODUNNIT title sequence Professional headshot of Demand Planner suspect in mustard yellow theme for supply chain mystery
Second letter N from WHODUNNIT title in vintage detective mystery style
Vintage paper tape securing Service Agent suspect photo in WHODUNNIT title sequence Professional headshot of Service Agent suspect in scarlet red color for supply chain investigation
Letter I from WHODUNNIT title in vintage crime investigation typography
Letter T from WHODUNNIT title in retro mystery case style
Vintage paper tape securing Fulfillment Associate suspect photo in WHODUNNIT title sequence Professional headshot of Fulfillment Associate suspect in white color scheme for supply chain mystery
Red question mark symbol concluding WHODUNNIT title in mystery investigation theme

One unsolved mystery.
Six suspects.
One master detective.

It's a supply chain whodunnit: orders disappear, performance plummets, and billing is chaos. But who's at fault?

Examine the suspects, evidence, and crime scenes to solve the Supply Chain Nightmare and determine: Whodunnit?

Start the Investigation Skip to the Verdict

Case
Overview

A thriving retail operation riding high on Shopify demand and ambitious growth targets. Their momentum clashes with the disastrous complacency of their long-time 3PL partner, whose legacy systems and "good-enough" attitude are now a competitive liability.

Company
OCSO
Industry
Retail
Vertical
Apparel & Accessories
OSCO retail apparel store location showcasing lifestyle goods

Retail Location

OSCO distribution center warehouse interior showing supply chain operations
play_arrow
CONFIDENTIAL
OSCO fulfillment warehouse facility showing vanishing revenue during peak season crisis

The Vanishing Revenue

Millions in revenue vanished during the most critical 8 weeks of the year. Black Friday orders flooded into the system at 3x normal volume, but many never reached customers. Inventory disappeared. Order fulfillment rates plummeted from 94% to 67%.

Contracts Collapsed

What should have been a record-breaking Q4 became a perfect storm because the operation couldn't deliver. Late shipments, wrong items, missing packages. For 3PLs, key contracts dropped. The retailer demands real-time visibility and tech sophistication. The 3PL can only offer apologies and excuses.

Stack of shipping labels representing collapsed supply chain contracts and delivery failures

Order Fulfillment Rate

trending_down

28.72%

Call 3PL Immediately
Urgent sticky note reminder to call 3PL immediately about supply chain crisis
OSCO warehouse showing declining order fulfillment performance with failed peak season operations
NONE ARE INNOCENT, BUT CAN YOU SAY ONLY ONE IS GUILTY?

Everyone involved swears they did their jobs. The data shows green lights across all systems. Yet somehow, the entire bottom line collapsed like a house of cards.

SUSPECTS

Who's to blame? Watch each suspect's introduction. Examine their interrogation videos. Size up the rooms and weapons. Uncover which combination of failures delivered the fatal blow to this operation.

Systems Architect

"My APIs are not the problem; I manually trigger and verify everything! The sheer volume is what's actually killing us, not my code!"

Workstation

Workstation

Custom APIs

Custom APIs

Manila folder containing confidential suspect profiles for supply chain investigation
Suspect Profiles
Black paper clip securing confidential suspect profile documents
Front view mugshot of Systems Architect suspect Rohan Singh Side profile mugshot of Systems Architect suspect Rohan Singh
Metal staple securing suspect file papers in manila folder
Manual Data Syncs
Yellow sticky note with evidence annotations for supply chain investigation

CASE-001-824FDG

FILE #00103011

CONFIDENTIAL

Rohan Singh

Systems Architect

Information Technology

Server Room

Relies on manual syncing for system integration, leading to data silos and slow updates.

Underline

Uses a suite of devices to manually trigger data transfers, operating on the false pretense of 'system redundancy' while actually ensuring no system is fully autonomous.

Barcode label on confidential suspect profile document for supply chain investigation

Fulfillment Associate

"I just use the standard box size at my station. I don't have time to try and find the perfect box sizes for every order! My job is to get packages out the door!"

Demand Planner Scene

Space Waste

Packaging Scene

Packing Tape

Manila folder containing confidential suspect profiles for supply chain investigation
Suspect Profiles
Black paper clip securing confidential suspect profile documents
Headshot Side Headshot Side
Metal staple securing suspect file papers in manila folder
Dim Weight $ Costs Up
Yellow sticky note with evidence annotations for supply chain investigation

CASE-001-824FDG

FILE #00103012

CONFIDENTIAL

Jasmine Cooper

Fulfillment Associate

Outbound Fulfillment

Packing Station

Using incorrect shipping box sizes, leading to increased shipping costs due to dimensional weight pricing and excess dunnage.

Underline

The oversized boxes are the ultimate weapon of waste, needlessly adding volume and weight to every shipment, directly increasing freight costs.

Barcode label on confidential suspect profile document for supply chain investigation

Warehouse Manager

"What inaccuracy? We've been doing it this way for years! It only takes us a couple of hours a week, and we know for a fact where every product is!"

Warehouse Scene

Paper Processes

Manual Counting

Motion Waste

Manila folder containing confidential suspect profiles for supply chain investigation
Suspect Profiles
Black paper clip securing confidential suspect profile documents
Headshot Side Headshot Side
Metal staple securing suspect file papers in manila folder
Relies on Manual Inventory Counts
Yellow sticky note with evidence annotations for supply chain investigation

CASE-001-824FDG

FILE #00103013

CONFIDENTIAL

Michael Varga

Warehouse Manager

Inventory Management

Storage Area

Manual and time-consuming cycle counting process, leading to inaccurate inventory records, operational delays, and a high cost per count.

Underline

The rusty clipboard represents the antiquated method of manual cycle counting—a slow, error-ridden tool that acts as a bottleneck to accurate, real-time inventory management.

Barcode label on confidential suspect profile document for supply chain investigation

Service Agent

"It's not my fault! I'm constantly searching through our systems for basic info—the company needs a customer portal or something to handle the volume."

Support Center

Support Backlog

Customer Complaints

Complaints

Manila folder containing confidential suspect profiles for supply chain investigation
Suspect Profiles
Black paper clip securing confidential suspect profile documents
Headshot Side Headshot Side
Metal staple securing suspect file papers in manila folder
Too Many Customer Complaints
Yellow sticky note with evidence annotations for supply chain investigation

CASE-001-824FDG

FILE #00103014

CONFIDENTIAL

Amy O'Connell

Service Agent

Customer Service

Support Center

Lack of a customer-facing system for order tracking and fulfillment visibility, which increases customer support volume and reduces customer satisfaction.

Underline

The fraying headset is the symbol of customer complaint triage — an expensive, personal, and non-scalable method of handling fulfillment questions that could be solved by a simple automated portal.

Barcode label on confidential suspect profile document for supply chain investigation

Financial Analyst

"I pull all metrics from our core systems, drop them into my spreadsheet, and check every cell, every formula, and every calculation one-by-one."

Admin Office

Manual Checks

Spreadsheet Analysis

File Errors

Manila folder containing confidential suspect profiles for supply chain investigation
Suspect Profiles
Black paper clip securing confidential suspect profile documents
Headshot Side Headshot Side
Metal staple securing suspect file papers in manila folder
Outdated, manual spreadsheets
Yellow sticky note with evidence annotations for supply chain investigation

CASE-001-824FDG

FILE #00103015

CONFIDENTIAL

Kevin Chen

Financial Analyst

Finance

Admin Office

Using an error-prone, non-scalable tool (Excel) for critical financial models, limiting collaboration and real-time insights.

Underline

The outdated spreadsheet is a digital 'ghost in the machine,' a rigid model requiring daily manual updates that are prone to formula errors and 'fat-fingering.'

Barcode label on confidential suspect profile document for supply chain investigation

Demand Planner

"If the forecast worked last year, it should work again this year. My job is to ensure inventory is available, and this is the easiest way."

Planning Office

Planning Office

2024 Forecast

2024 Forecast

Manila folder containing confidential suspect profiles for supply chain investigation
Suspect Profiles
Black paper clip securing confidential suspect profile documents
Headshot Side Headshot Side
Metal staple securing suspect file papers in manila folder
Using the 2024 Forecast
Yellow sticky note with evidence annotations for supply chain investigation

CASE-001-824FDG

FILE #00103016

CONFIDENTIAL

Sofia Rodriguez

Demand Planner

Supply Chain Planning

Planning Office

Disconnect between demand forecasting and financial data, leading to a lack of visibility into profitability.

Underline

The last year's forecast is a dangerous weapon, representing an outdated model that ignores current financial constraints and market reality, leading to profitable revenue but poor overall margins.

Barcode label on confidential suspect profile document for supply chain investigation
EACH TOOL IS EVIDENCE; NONE ARE FIT FOR PURPOSE.

EVIDENCE

Was it the manual integration that failed the operation? Or was it the outdated spreadsheet that crippled the system? You're standing on a crime scene where every evidence is a potential deception. Your only weapon is suspicion. It's time to look closer.

Manual system integrations evidence showing outdated technology causing supply chain failures Manual system integrations evidence showing outdated technology causing supply chain failures
1
MANUAL
INTEGRATIONS
Oversized shipping boxes evidence showing wasteful packaging causing dimensional weight costs Oversized shipping boxes evidence showing wasteful packaging causing dimensional weight costs
2
OVERSIZED
BOXES
Rusty Clipboard Rusty Clipboard
3
RUSTY
CLIPBOARD
Fraying Headset Fraying Headset
4
FRAYING
HEADSET
Old Forecast Old Forecast
5
LAST YEAR'S
FORECAST
Outdated Spreadsheet Outdated Spreadsheet
6
OUTDATED
SPREADSHEET
1
Fraying Headset
Vintage paper tape accent on suspect evidence documentation
Cityscape

Exhibit A

Vintage paper tape accent securing suspect evidence materials
Cityscape

Exhibit B

Barcode

Manual Integrations

Over-reliance on manual triggers for system integration.

A suite of devices used to manually trigger data transfers, operating on the false pretense of 'system redundancy' while actually ensuring no system is fully autonomous.

2
Oversized Boxes
Vintage paper tape accent on suspect evidence documentation
Vacation Shot

Exhibit A

Vintage paper tape accent securing suspect evidence materials
Cityscape

Exhibit B

Barcode

Oversized Boxes

Increased Shipping Costs (Dimensional Weight)

The use of oversized boxes leads to wasted material, higher freight expenses due to dimensional weight pricing, and a negative environmental impact.

3
Rusty Clipboard
Vintage paper tape accent on suspect evidence documentation
Vacation Shot

Exhibit A

Vintage paper tape accent securing suspect evidence materials
Cityscape

Exhibit B

Barcode

Rusty Clipboard

Manual Inventory Counting

Manual inventory counting leads to inaccurate records, operational delays, a high cost per count, and creates "motion waste" for staff.

4
Fraying Headset
Vintage paper tape accent on suspect evidence documentation
Vacation Shot

Exhibit A

Vintage paper tape accent securing suspect evidence materials
Cityscape

Exhibit B

Barcode

Fraying Headset

Lack of Customer Self-Service

Reliance on calls for routine queries results in high customer support volume, low customer satisfaction, and a non-scalable support solution.

5
Old Forecast
Vintage paper tape accent on suspect evidence documentation
Vacation Shot

Exhibit A

Vintage paper tape accent securing suspect evidence materials
Cityscape

Exhibit B

Barcode

Old Forecast

Outdated Demand Planning Model

Using an outdated model results in misaligned inventory, ignores current market/financial constraints, and leads to poor profit margins.

6
Outdated Spreadsheet
Vintage paper tape accent on suspect evidence documentation
Vacation Shot

Exhibit A

Vintage paper tape accent securing suspect evidence materials
Cityscape

Exhibit B

Barcode

Outdated Spreadsheet

Manual Financial Modeling

Manual modeling is prone to formula errors and "fat-fingering." It's non-scalable, limiting collaboration and real-time insights for critical decision-making.

EVERY ROOM TELLS A STORY, BUT NONE SPEAK THE TRUTH.
CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS

CRIME SCENES

Search stale meeting rooms, dusty warehouses, and compromised data centers for every digital footprint. Pinpoint the locations of the fatal decision and the subsequent cover-up.

Server Room
Packing Station
Storage Area
Support Center
Admin Office
Planning Office
09/30/2025
11:28:05 AM
REC
CAMERA 1
SERVER ROOM

Where customer data stalls waiting for a human hand.

IT Staff and Maintenance

Reliance on manual data transfer and triggers between systems; high staff turnover due to repetitive, low-value work; and non-scalable support that is error-prone.

09/30/2025
11:28:05 AM
REC
CAMERA 2
PACKING STATION

A high-traffic counter covered in scraps of tape and loose labels, surrounded by a chaotic assortment of boxes.

Fulfillment Associates and Shipping Carriers

Congestion and bottlenecks, poor organization of packing materials, and a 'rush' mentality that prioritizes speed over quality/cost optimization.

09/30/2025
11:28:05 AM
REC
CAMERA 3
STORAGE AREA

A canyon of shelves where the inventory count is only as accurate as the pencil and paper used to record it.

Warehouse Staff and Temp Workers

Inaccurate inventory counts from manual entry; motion waste as staff walk long distances to count; and delayed decision-making due to stale and unreliable stock data.

09/30/2025
11:28:05 AM
REC
CAMERA 4
SUPPORT CENTER

A bullpen of tightly packed desks, where digital data is born from tired eyes and manual transcription.

Customer Service Agents and Supervisors

The high volume of incoming calls/queries overwhelms manual data processing; customers cannot self-serve simple data requests.

09/30/2025
11:28:05 AM
REC
CAMERA 5
ADMIN OFFICE

Where critical future plans are built on financial models that should have been retired last quarter.

Finance and HR personnel

Lack of document version control, unauthorized desk-side audits, and an excess of printed, sensitive information.

09/30/2025
11:28:05 AM
REC
CAMERA 6
PLANNING OFFICE

A quiet corner office where projections are taped to the walls and a lone whiteboard holds cryptic flowcharts.

Demand Planners

'Siloed' planning where forecasts aren't checked against financial outcomes, reliance on outdated historical data that ignores market shifts, and lack of integration with sales/marketing data.

CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS CRIME SCENE DO NOT CROSS
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Red checkmarks indicating guilty verdicts for all supply chain suspects Handwritten list of all six supply chain suspects with their roles and charges Yellow sticky note asking 'WHO is responsible?' in mystery investigation theme Yellow sticky note asking 'WHAT went wrong?' in supply chain investigation Yellow sticky note asking 'WHERE did it happen?' in mystery case documentation

Time's Up
What's YOUR VERDICT?

Was it the Warehouse Manager in the Storage Area with the Rusty Clipboard? Or the Financial Analyst in the Admin Office with the Outdated Spreadsheet? You make the call, but prepare yourself. The truth will shock everyone.

Make Accusation