Where in the past, the technical barriers to building new business software were high, with new developments in AI these barriers are today enormously reduced. AI writes, refactors and tests code at speed. A simple completely custom build application can be built from scratch in weeks, not months or years, at a fraction of the cost.
Although there are clear risks, the opportunity for Supply Chain Planning is huge. Despite the advancements in technology, in most Supply Chains, a lot of processes are managed in Excel. Managing complex planning processes in Excel spreadsheets has clear downsides: the limited analytical and mathematical optimization power, poor visibility, the risk for human errors, the limited scalability and poor data integrations are only a few.
The reason for a lot of these processes to be managed in Excel is often due to the fact that there are unique complexities that are difficult or expensive to integrate into off-the-shelf software. Another reason is that, for fast growing companies or companies with a highly dynamic environment, the rather static IT-landscape cannot keep up with rapidly evolving business needs.
In these cases, the adaptability and tailorability of a custom build, ‘vibe coded’ Supply Chain App can be of great value, since it can be used as an Add-On to the existing ERP and APS software, filling business needs that are not covered in the current landscape.
While the technical barriers to developing software are largely gone, several factors remain important in successfully launching a completely custom build, vibe-coded app for Supply Chain, without exposing your supply chain to new risks.
Deep domain expertise: Real supply-chain knowledge to design the right company specific logic and process, not just any logic or process. Without the proper logic and process in place, we are at risk of launching applications that degrade our Supply Chain performance instead of improving it.
Rigorous testing: Anyone who experimented with vibe-coding complex logic knows: a lot of debugging and iterations are needed to get it right. To get hardened, validated software that holds up against messy, real-world data, rigorous testing by knowledgeable people who deeply understand the logic they are building is a prerequisite.
Security: The application should be deeply tested by security experts before its release, otherwise the risks cannot be underestimated.
Maintainability: Clean, well-documented and fully tested code, no black box. An expert who has full understanding of the application and who can transfer the knowledge. Launching applications without considering maintainability means probably rebuilding the same thing in a couple of years.
User enablement: Training and adoption so the tool is trusted and actually used at go-live. The application will only be a success when it’s understood, accepted and used properly.
With these preconditions in place, vibe-coded Supply Chain Apps shift from being a risky experiment to a genuine competitive advantage. The technology has democratized the building of software, but it has not removed the need for the expertise to build the right software, safely. Companies that pair the speed and flexibility of AI-assisted development with deep domain knowledge, disciplined testing, robust security, and a clear focus on maintainability and adoption can close the gaps their ERP and APS landscape leaves open, without inheriting a new generation of hidden risks. Those that ignore these fundamentals will simply trade the well-understood limitations of Excel for the far less visible dangers of fragile, unvalidated, black-box code.
The opportunity is real and the barriers are lower than ever, but the winners will be those who treat vibe-coding not as a shortcut around supply-chain discipline, but as a powerful new tool to apply it. The question is no longer whether you can build a custom Supply Chain App, but whether you can build one you can trust.
Are there gaps in your Supply Chain IT landscape that need attention? At Involvation, we support our customers in redesigning their current Supply Chain IT applications, in selecting new Supply Chain software or in developing new customized tools. When appropriate, we can explore together where a custom-built app could add real value, and how to develop it safely, without trading Excel's familiar limitations for new hidden risks.
Reach out to start the conversation!