Customising a Logistics Application for Stronger Operational Visibility
Our client, a Singapore based mobility solutions provider, specialises in the global distribution of mobile devices. As operations scaled across multiple logistics partners, our client collaborated with us on developing an app solution that would strengthen operational visibility and financial control while aligning with their broader ERP modernisation initiatives.
Service
Sector
Within 4 months, our custom low‑code logistics management app unified operational workflows, improved financial oversight, and supported future scalability.
The Challenge
As our client expanded their logistics network, they identified opportunities to improve how operational and financial data was managed across multiple third‑party logistics providers (3PLs).
Key challenges included:
- Fragmented shipment visibility: Shipment milestones and updates were provided by different 3PLs, making it difficult to maintain a consistent, real‑time view of logistics progress.
- Document management complexity: Operational documents (e.g. invoices, shipping and records on international commercial terms) were stored across systems and formats, increasing effort for follow‑ups and audits.
- Manual invoice reconciliation: Finance teams relied on spreadsheets and manual checks to reconcile 3PL invoices against agreed rate cards.
- Limited integration with finance systems: With an ongoing ERP implementation, our client needed a solution that complemented core finance processes.
- Unstructured data: Operational and financial data existed but was not easily structured for reporting or analysis.
Rather than building on its existing ERP, our client aimed to develop a practical, flexible application solution that could unify operational workflows, improve financial oversight, and support future scalability.
The Solution
We helped to design and deliver a low‑code logistics management application aligned to our client’s operational realities and long‑term roadmap.
The application solution focused on:
- Centralised shipment management, track and trace integration to provide a single view of shipments and key milestones (e.g. estimated time of delivery) across multiple 3PLs.
- Structured document management, enabling operational documents to be organised and tracked consistently based on shipment scenarios and international commercial terms.
- Invoice management aligned to rate cards, supporting clearer validation and reconciliation of 3PL invoices.
- Document-to-transaction automation, capturing key fields via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) from invoices and rate cards, and using application logic to reconcile line items before routing exceptions for manual review and approval (human-in-the-loop controls), prior to downstream finance processing.
- ERP‑aligned integration design, ensuring operational data could integrate with finance systems where appropriate, without creating parallel processes.
- Data‑first architecture, allowing operational and financial data to be reused for reporting and analysis.
By leveraging a low‑code platform, the app was developed efficiently and designed to adapt as requirements evolved. This approach gave our client an operational layer tailored to its logistics workflows while remaining flexible, maintainable, and aligned with its broader technology landscape.
The Impact
Within 4 months, our solution improved clarity, consistency, and control across our client’s logistics and finance operations.
Key outcomes included:
- Improved operational visibility, with shipment milestones and documentation accessible through a single interface.
- More structured invoice handling, supporting clearer reconciliation processes aligned to agreed commercial terms.
- Reduced reliance on manual tracking, as tracking and document data was captured and managed more systematically.
- Stronger data foundations, enabling operational and financial information to be analysed more easily over time.
- Scalability for future needs, with a flexible platform that can accommodate new workflows, integrations, and reporting requirements.
Beyond near-term operational improvements, the project established a framework that supports our client’s long‑term objectives, balancing day‑to‑day efficiency with the ability to adapt as logistics volumes, partners, and business requirements continue to evolve.
