Supply Chain Nightmares
2024
2h 12m
Limited Series
sequences of system failures triggering widespread disruption.
Action Horror Thriller

A company, fully prepared for Black Friday, suffers a catastrophic system failure, leaving them unable to fulfill orders and learning the vital importance of reliable systems and backups.

Peak Season Preparations

As a third-party logistics provider (3PL), the company had spent months preparing for Black Friday, the busiest shopping event of the year. Warehouses were stocked, teams were ready, and systems were in place to ensure smooth order fulfillment. Confidence was high, but a lingering fear remained: What if the systems failed?

From Surge
to Standstill

Black Friday arrived as expected, with orders pouring in rapidly. But soon, the system began to falter—slow responses, delayed orders, and finally, total failure. The APIs connecting them to their carriers went down, paralyzing the company. Unable to ship a single order, they watched helplessly as orders piled up while customers awaited their deliveries.

BREAKDOWN
Order Tracking
Order Processed
Your order has been processed and is awaiting shipment.
Friday, Nov 29
Label Created
A shipping label has been created, but the package has not yet been handed over to the carrier.
Thursday, Dec 5
Held at Warehouse
Your package is being held at the warehouse for further processing.
Wednesday, Dec 18
Processing Error at Facility
An error occurred at the shipping facility. The package cannot be shipped due to a system error or issue with processing.
Tuesday, Dec 24
Speaker Camera

The Chaos Unleashed

As customers tried to check the status of their orders, they were met with frustration. Error screens appeared instead of tracking information, and notifications warned that their shipments would be delayed or might not arrive at all. The system, still down from the earlier failure, left customers in the dark, heightening their anxiety as the holiday season approached. Each attempt to track an order was met with technical failures, further fueling their dissatisfaction and flooding the company with complaints. The inability to provide any clear updates only deepened the crisis.

A Nightmare Lesson

Breakdown shows how system failures can trigger disaster, especially in supply chains during peak times. The company learned that no matter the preparation, without reliable systems, everything can collapse.

With Deposco’s warehouse management system, built to handle high volumes seamlessly, this disaster could have been avoided. Quick to implement and providing real-time data around the clock, Deposco WMS ensures smooth operations, even during critical times, eliminating long hours and stalled growth.

CAST & CREW

Warehouse Manager

Lana Failor

Lana is responsible for overseeing the smooth flow of orders and ensuring timely shipments. Known for her attention to detail and ability to handle pressure, she’s the anchor of her team. However, when the system fails and orders vanish, Tina is thrust into chaos, powerless against the breakdown. As the situation spirals, she struggles to maintain control and restore operations, facing the limits of her expertise without the proper support.

Cares About

  • Orders drowning workers
  • Ransom letters from customers
  • Inventory is a perpetual witch-hunt
  • Pick tickets lost in the abyss

Operations Lead

Crash Morgan

Crash is the operations lead who keeps operations running smoothly on the floor. With years of experience, he’s the steady hand in managing teams, ensuring order accuracy, and keeping processes efficient. When the system failure hits, Mack faces the daunting challenge of maintaining morale and finding ways to work around the breakdown. With shipments backing up and no solution in sight, Mack’s ability to lead under pressure is put to the ultimate test.

Cares About

  • Shipping spend overshadows GMV
  • Fill Rate fumbles
  • Overselling overload
  • Reports: light as a feather, rigid as a board

Consumer

Trina Darke

Trina Darke, a dedicated mother and savvy shopper, was excited for Christmas after placing a big Black Friday order. But when the company’s system crashed, leaving her without updates or her gifts, her holiday plans unraveled. Frustrated by the lack of communication, Trina became a symbol of how system failures during peak times impact real customers counting on businesses to deliver.

Cares About

  • Timely delivery
  • Clear communication
  • Responsive customer support
  • Reliability
  • Value for money
Lana Failor
Crash Morgan
Trina Darke

Based on a Nightmare Scenario

"As a 3PL, I think everyone's biggest nightmare is system failure on, like, a Black Friday weekend."

Breakdown is inspired by a hypothetical nightmare scenario envisioned by Elliott Wallace, CTO and Co-Founder of ITB Fulfillment. It captures the fear of system failure during critical shopping events like Black Friday. In the film, a 3PL company, similar to ITB Fulfillment, spends months preparing for the busiest shopping period, only to face a catastrophic system collapse at the worst moment. Elliott describes this as every 3PL’s nightmare—preparing for extreme order volumes, only to see the systems, particularly APIs connecting them to shipping partners, fail completely. The film illustrates how the company’s ability to fulfill orders is crippled, leading to a backlog and frustrated customers. Both the story and Elliott's experience stress the importance of having reliable systems and backups. As the crisis unfolds, it shows how a single point of failure can cause chaos during peak periods, turning months of preparation into disaster. Elliott’s warning about the impact of such failures is mirrored in the film, highlighting the need for robust systems to avoid catastrophic consequences, even when a company is fully prepared for high-volume events.

Elliot Wallace
ITB Fulfillment

Inventory Insomnia Stops Here

Escape volume villains, lost labor, multi-channel mayhem, and accuracy atrocities. At Deposco, creating horror-free Peak Seasons is our 6th sense. Let us wake you from the high cost of keeping customers happy.

Rating
Supply Chain Nightmares | A Deposco Featured Series
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