From manual to automated

From manual to automated: 50% time saved of processing logistic documents

In logistics, a lot of document processing still runs on manpower – and that costs time, money and accuracy. Especially for companies that deal with consignment notes, packing slips and other transport documents in different formats and languages on a daily basis. This makes logistics document processing automation indispensable for companies looking to speed up their processes and reduce error margins. One of our customers – active as a logistics service provider – faced exactly such a challenge. Together, we developed an innovative solution that halved the workload and is scalable for similar companies.

A mountain of documents and error-prone manual checks

At this logistics service provider, all transactions were neatly registered in the ERP system, but large quantities of consignment notes and transport documents came in every day – usually as PDFs. The employees had to check all these documents manually. Are the numbers correct? Does the information match the ERP data? This traditional method not only took a lot of time, but also made the risk of errors unnecessarily high.

Smart document processing using AI

AppReef developed a solution in which AI document processing largely takes over manual checks. The technology automatically reads data from unstructured documents, regardless of the format, language or layout. Thanks to the power of Azure Functions and OpenAI, the information is immediately converted into a structured format that is automatically compared to the data in the ERP system.

What makes this approach unique? No rigid templates, but a flexible and scalable framework that adapts to changing document types – from scanned consignment notes to handwritten comments in multiple languages. Ideal for companies that want to automate their logistics document processing without complex and expensive custom solutions.

The result: 50% less workload and fewer errors

The benefits are immediately visible: the employee who previously checked documents manually on a daily basis sees his workload reduced by half. Only deviations are still reviewed manually. The solution will automatically highlight these, including a clear log of the differences. Are all the details correct? Then the status is automatically updated in the ERP. This not only saves you time, but also costs and minimizes errors in the logistics process.

Extensible and scalable with Microsoft technology

Although the solution is tailor-made for this customer, the underlying framework makes smart use of Microsoft tools such as Power Automate and Dataverse. This makes the solution easily scalable and applicable in other logistics environments, with applications such as:

Automatic processing of incoming PDF orders and transport documents
Comparison with ERP data for error-free administration
Workflow integration for approval or review

Smart investment with fast ROI

For companies with a high volume of (transport) documents, this approach offers a smart investment. Thanks to the use of existing Microsoft technologies, you not only achieve a short implementation time, but also a fast Return on Investment (ROI). This makes it easy to take the step towards scalable and future-proof automation of (logistics) document processing.