Future-Proofing Wires & Cables Supply Chains: Lessons from 2025–26 Growth Pressures

In 2025, we saw the limits of traditional logistics. When you are moving high-value assets like HVDC (High-Voltage Direct Current) or  extra-high-voltage cables, the “old way” of doing things doesn’t just slow you down, it creates financial leaks that can swallow your margins.

Here are the real lessons from the 2025–26 growth pressures and how to bridge the gap between “moving goods” and “strategic orchestration.”

Here’s what Amisha Modi, Enterprise Consultant, Electrical Industry at SuperProcure, says:

When volumes increase, only spreadsheets do not work. I’ve seen logistics heads spend more time tracking down small details and correcting freight invoices than planning capacity. That’s not sustainable in the long run. A digital TMS gives you visibility across dispatch, transit, and billing in one place. It turns your operations from a daily hassle management job into a controlled, data-backed function.

  — Amisha Modi,
Enterprise Consultant, Electrical Industry, SuperProcure

1. The Spot Market Squeeze

Infrastructure booms always lead to vehicle shortages. In 2025, companies that relied on manual, phone-based procurement saw their freight costs rise sharply as they were forced into the spot market to meet project deadlines.

• The Reality: If your team is spending 3 hours on the phone to secure one flatbed truck, you aren’t just losing time, you’re losing the ability to negotiate.
• The Fix: You need a digital indenting network. By broadcasting requirements to your entire base of contracted and verified transporters simultaneously, you secure the market rate in minutes, not hours. It turns “emergency hiring” into a competitive auction.

2. Accountability in the “Last Mile”

Cable drums are uniquely difficult. They are heavy (often weighing several tons), yet surprisingly delicate. A single kink or abrasion during transit can compromise a multi-lakh-rupee reel.

• The Reality: “Milestone” tracking (knowing when a truck leaves the factory) is insufficient for high-value electrical assets. If a truck carrying HVDC cables sits idle at a remote site for two days because the unloading crew wasn’t ready, your detention costs skyrocket.
• The Fix: Real-time visibility isn’t a luxury, it’s a site-readiness tool. When the site manager knows exactly when the truck will arrive, they can coordinate cranes and labor, eliminating downtime and “lost” inventory.

3. The Paperwork Bottleneck

As volume increased in 2025, so did the “document trail.” Manual LR (Loading Receipt) generation and physical POD (Proof of Delivery) tracking became the primary cause of delayed payments and billing disputes.

• The Reality: When a project spans months, waiting 15 days for a physical POD to travel from a remote site to your head office stalls your cash flow.
• The Fix: ePOD (Electronic Proof of Delivery). Capturing a digital signature and a photo of the delivered drum at the site instantly triggers the billing cycle. It’s the difference between getting paid in 30 days versus 60.

Moving Toward “Supply Chain Orchestration”

The industry leaders who thrived in 2025 did so by treating logistics as part of their Product Quality. If the cable arrives late or damaged, the quality of the copper inside doesn’t matter.

At SuperProcure, we’ve spent the last year helping W&C manufacturers transition from “firefighting” to “orchestration”. We’re here to give you the data to manage them better.

• Audit-Ready Freight Accounting: Stop the manual reconciliation of thousands of freight bills.
• Centralized Control Tower: See every shipment, every transporter, and every delay on one screen.

FAQ: Addressing the Real-World Logistics Hurdles

How does a TMS handle the variety of vehicle types needed for different cable drums?

A specialized TMS allows you to categorize indents by vehicle type (e.g., 20ft Flatbed, Semi-Trailer, etc.).

Can digital tools actually reduce “leakage” or theft?

Yes. By using geofencing and real-time alerts, any unscheduled stop or route deviation is flagged immediately. For high-value copper shipments, this “digital escort” is the most effective deterrent against transit theft.

Is it difficult to integrate a TMS with our existing SAP or ERP?

Not at all. Modern platforms are designed to be an “agility layer.” They pull the indent details from your ERP and push back the tracking data and final freight costs, so your accounting remains the “single source of truth.”

Conclusion: Data is the New Infrastructure

The infrastructure projects of 2026 from Smart Cities to 5G rollouts will not wait for manual logistics. Future-proofing your supply chain isn’t about buying more trucks; it’s about having better data.

By automating the “tedious” (indenting, tracking, and auditing), you empower your logistics team to do what they do best: Ensure the backbone of modern energy networks reaches its destination, every time.

Ready to see how we’ve helped companies like yours navigate the growth?