Total Quality Logistics (TQL) is one of North America’s most well known freight brokers and third party logistics providers. Although highly digitized and heavily tech-enabled, their outdated homemade automation solution for the trucking business had been underperforming, particularly in the handling of US customs documentation. Recognizing the need for a more robust and optimized process, TQL sought a flexible and adaptable solution from Prompt Global.
Key points
- TQL struggled with an inefficient, outdated homemade automation system.
- They implemented Prompt Global’s Automate software swiftly and seamlessly.
- The software provided a 99.91% data accuracy rate, reducing TQL’s data capture burden.
- The investment broke even in 3 weeks, with a projected three-year ROI of 2700%.
- Prompt’s solution handles the US customs documentation requirement flawlessly and will be used across other document types
Removing bottlenecks with automated processes and improved tech
The main challenge TQL faced was a disjointed technical system. The homemade tech on the trucking side was not compatible with their forwarding system, CargoWise. This meant that their OCR solution, although working for the trucking business, couldn’t be leveraged effectively for customs files. This led to a significant amount of time and resources being allocated to manually entering data into systems – upwards of 80-100 unique fields per document.
The TQL team was overstretched due to the high data capture requirements and needed a solution that could streamline operations. They were handling multiple document types, such as commercial invoices, customs declarations, customs certificates, house/master bills, and packing lists. The struggle to manage these diverse documents in PDF, Word, and Excel formats was also impeding efficiency.
“Prompt’s Automate solution handles our customs declarations and commercial invoices with ease, leaving us to concentrate on operations, rather than worrying about data quality.” – Patrick Behan, Director of Sales at TQL
Successful collaboration starts with a proof of concept
Understanding their needs and recognizing the limitations of their current system, TQL opted to partner with Prompt Global. They initiated a proof of concept (POC) where the Prompt’s Automate software was tested extensively to ensure it met their specific requirements. Their decision was influenced by the software’s promise of high data accuracy and the prospect of significant ROI.
Adjacent to the immediate benefits that the software would provide, the lack of required resources on TQL’s side meant immediate productivity gains and freeing up staff for more high value projects.
Automating customs document processing within a day
Implementing the Automate software proved to be a seamless process. The software was up and running within a day for the POC, and there were no changes required to transition to production. The implementation phase involved a kickoff call to discuss the fields that should be captured per document type. After that, weekly group meetings were set up, which then transitioned to fortnightly and ultimately monthly meetings as the software proved its efficacy.
The entire process was seamless and had no negative impact on TQL’s operations or output. In fact, the benefits were immediate and tangible.
The results were outstanding. The software delivered a 99.91% data accuracy rate, easing the burden of data capture on the TQL team. The initial investment in the software broke even in just three weeks, while the projected three-year ROI stood at a staggering 2700%. Performance gains were off the charts, and the solution proved so effective that TQL expanded their file handling and continues to expand their usage of Prompt’s solutions.
Prompt Global’s Automate software transformed TQL’s operations, delivering high data accuracy, eliminating manual labor, and achieving impressive ROI. This case exemplifies how the right technology can drastically optimize business processes.
TQL are expanding their engagement with Prompt, looking into other operational solutions to streamline data flow, and improve areas like quoting and booking.
