Shipment Processing Software Development
How a Cayman Islands Freight Forwarder Made Shipment Processing 60% Faster
Every package was typed in by hand, every DIM weight worked out separately, and shipment, container, and invoice data never connected. We replaced Savvy Fr8t’s off-the-shelf platform with custom software that calculates rates automatically, turns customer prealerts into shipments in one click, and takes invoice payments online.
- Faster shipment processing
- 60%
- Rate and DIM weight calculations automated
- 100%
- From start to launch
- 8–10 Weeks
Client Overview
Client Story
Savvy Fr8t Solutions is a Cayman Islands freight forwarder with 15 years in shipping and logistics, led by CEO Clive Hutchman. Customers send goods to its Miami warehouse, using separate addresses for air and ocean freight, and the company ships them on to the Cayman Islands. Every package that arrives has to be logged, measured, priced, loaded into a container, and invoiced.
On its previous off-the-shelf shipping platform, staff typed each package into the Add Shipment screen by hand. DIM weight and freight charges were worked out separately and checked again, and shipment, container, rate, and invoice records sat in modules that did not share data. The team was losing 4–6 hours a day to updates and data entry, mistakes crept into dimensions and rates, and customers waited longer for answers. The company also could not change a platform it did not control.
Background
Project Background
Clive wanted to replace the rented platform with a stable, scalable system the company controls. The brief:
- Air and Ocean in One System
- Handle both freight modes, each with its own rules.
- Automatic Rates and DIM Weight
- Calculate charges from shipment details instead of by hand.
- Customer Self-Service
- Let customers prealert shipments and raise support tickets themselves.
- Connected Records
- Shipments, containers, rates, and invoices that update each other.
We wanted a system that could manage Air and Ocean freight, automate rates, and give our customers a way to pre-alert shipments and raise tickets easily.
Discovery
Research & Ideation
The hours were not lost in one place. They leaked out at every handoff, from typing a package in to checking its charges to updating its invoice.
Calculate, Don’t Type
Rates and DIM weight follow set rules, so the system should work them out from the shipment details.
One Record, Every Module
A shipment entered once should flow into its container, rate, and invoice without re-entry.
Let Customers Start the Shipment
Customers who prealert their own packages and raise their own tickets take work off the team.
Design
Designing a Connected Shipment Workflow
Each shipment now moves through five connected steps, from the customer’s prealert to a paid invoice.
- Customer PrealertShipment registered as a quote request
- One-Click ShipmentAdmin converts the prealert
- Automatic ChargesRate and DIM weight by mode and weight scale
- Container LoadingShipment linked to its container
- Invoice and PaymentPaid online through Stripe
Support tickets run alongside every step, so customers can ask about any shipment without leaving the portal.
Challenges
Project Challenges
Manual Shipment Entry
Package and shipment details were typed in by hand, causing delays and inconsistent data.
No DIM Weight or Status Automation
DIM weight and shipment status updates needed repeated manual checks.
Disconnected Modules
Shipment, container, and rate modules did not share data, adding administrative work.
Errors in Dimensions and Rates
Manual calculation raised the risk of wrong dimensions and wrong charges.
Slow Answers for Customers
With data split across modules, responding to customer questions took longer.
Approach
Our Solutions
We traced the lost hours to manual calculation and disconnected data, then built a platform that removes both.
Rate Master
Shipping rates are calculated automatically from shipment type, mode (air or ocean), and weight scale (lbs or kg).
Automatic DIM Weight and Charges
The Add Shipment screen calculates DIM weight and the total freight charge as details are entered.
Connected Shipment Records
Shipment, container, rate, and invoice modules share one data flow and update each other.
Ticket Management
Customers raise and track tickets, and admins reply and close them with the full conversation saved.
Prealert Shipments
Customers pre-register shipments as quote requests, and admins turn them into shipments in one click.
Online Invoice Payments With Stripe
Customers pay invoices in the portal, admins can pay on a customer’s behalf, and receipts go out automatically.
Custom Features
Custom Functionalities
The engineering decisions that let one system handle two freight modes without extra admin work.
Dynamic Rate Rules per Freight Mode
Air and ocean freight each follow their own rate rules, managed from one Rate Master instead of hard-coded logic.
Automated Data Migration
Import scripts moved existing records from the old platform, so nothing had to be retyped.
Unified Prealert and Shipment Data
Prealerts and shipments share one database structure, which is what makes one-click conversion possible.
Pay on a Customer’s Behalf
Admins can settle an invoice for a customer, and the invoice status updates the same way as a customer payment.
Automatic Invoice Status and Receipts
Each payment updates the invoice and sends an email receipt without anyone doing it by hand.
Full Ticket History
Every ticket keeps its complete conversation, so any admin can pick up where another left off.
Support
On Going Support
The platform was delivered in 8 –10 weeks as a fully outsourced project, and it now belongs to Savvy Fr8t.
90-Day Post-Launch Warranty
Issues found after go-live are fixed by the team that built the platform.
Rates Managed by the Team
New rates and freight rules are set in the Rate Master, without a developer.
A Platform They Control
No vendor decides what changes next. Savvy Fr8t owns its shipment system.
We wanted a system that could manage Air and Ocean freight, automate rates, and give our customers a way to pre-alert shipments and raise tickets easily.
Impact
Project Outcome
- Faster shipment creation and processing
- 60%
- Rate and DIM weight calculations automated
- 100%
- To turn a customer prealert into a shipment
- 1 Click
- Modules connected: shipment, container, rate, invoice
- 4
Results reported by Savvy Fr8t Solutions.
Before: off-the-shelf platform
- Every package typed in by hand
- DIM weight and charges worked out separately
- Shipment, container, and rate data disconnected
- 4–6 hours a day lost to updates and data entry
After: custom shipment platform
- Customer prealerts become shipments in one click
- Rates and DIM weight calculated automatically
- Shipments, containers, and invoices update each other
- Customers raise tickets and pay invoices online
Shipment creation and processing are 60% faster, and the team no longer calculates rates or DIM weight by hand. A shipment entered once now carries through to its container and invoice.
Customers prealert their own shipments, raise tickets, and pay invoices through the portal, which cuts admin workload and speeds up responses.
How iCommuneTech Works
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We deliver the exact solution to a business problem with the least investment and time, then stay to keep it working.
We understand before we quote
We start by understanding how the work actually gets done, before we propose anything.
The exact solution, not the biggest one
We recommend the smallest solution that fully solves the problem, and use what already works.
A team that stays
Every launch includes a 90-day warranty, then an optional long-term delivery plan with the same team.
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Tell us how the work gets done today. We’ll map it before we propose anything.
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