The problem
Shipment coordinators and the sales desk both ran on email and spreadsheets. Rate requests, quotations, and status updates were typed by hand, and B2B clients called in for tracking that nobody could answer instantly.
What we built
- Automated rate collection and AI-generated quotation requests to forwarders and liners
- Automatic status notifications across the shipment lifecycle
- A WhatsApp AI agent wired to the import/export database for real-time tracking answers
How we got there
- 1
Ran a full process audit across the shipment and sales departments
- 2
Quantified hours lost per task and ranked automation candidates by payback
- 3
Built and deployed in phases, starting with quotation requests
Results
- •30+ hours saved per week for shipping & sales teams
- •Real-time tracking via WhatsApp AI agent
- •Automated quotation requests with AI personalization
| Area | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Team hours per week | Baseline | -30+ hours |
| Client tracking requests | Manual lookups | Instant via WhatsApp |
| Quotation requests | Hand-written | AI-generated |
Technologies
AI Automation
WhatsApp Business API
Database Integration
Smart Notifications
What’s next
Extending the agent to landed-cost estimates and automated document checks.