When Oracle Transportation Management (OTM) fails to deliver the return organizations expected, the software is often the first thing blamed. It’s described as too complex, too rigid, or too difficult to change. But in practice, OTM rarely underperforms because of technical limitations. In fact, most organizations are using only a fraction of what OTM was designed to do – often no more than basic rating, tendering, and shipment tracking.
The real issue is not capability, but utilization. Many OTM implementations are rushed to get “live,” with the focus squarely on execution and minimal disruption. Once that milestone is reached, optimization stalls. Advanced planning logic, automation through agents, exception management, analytics, and continuous improvement are left for a future phase that never quite arrives. Over time, teams build manual workarounds and spreadsheets around OTM, unintentionally sidelining the very functionality that drives ROI.
Another common factor is organizational ownership. After go-live, OTM often becomes an IT-supported system rather than a business-owned platform. Without a clear roadmap, ongoing enablement, or regular optimization cycles, the system stagnates while the transportation network continues to evolve. The result is a growing gap between what OTM can do and what it is actually being used for which leads to higher costs, reactive operations, and missed opportunities for automation.
The irony is that many of the pain points attributed to OTM such as alert fatigue, poor visibility, and slow decision-making are symptoms of underuse, not design flaws. When organizations treat OTM as a living platform rather than a one-time project, ROI improves dramatically. The path forward doesn’t require a reimplementation or new licenses. It requires a shift in mindset, ownership, and how value is unlocked over time.
This is where Intellinum’s independent OTM Health Check can make a meaningful difference. Engaging Intellinum to assess your current use of Oracle Transportation Management brings a fresh, experienced perspective to how the platform is configured and operated today. Our skilled OTM practitioners look beyond what is technically possible and focus on how the system is actually being used to dentify gaps, underutilized capabilities, and quick-win opportunities that can unlock immediate value. For many organizations, a second set of eyes reveals inefficiencies that have become normalized over time, along with practical recommendations to improve automation, service levels, and overall ROI, typically without requiring major system changes.
Contact us today or download our OTM Health Check whitepaper to learn more.