About this case study: it is based on a business typical of the ones we work with, not a named client, and every number comes from the assumptions at the end of the page. Swap in your own and the sums still work.
The problem
About 80 status emails arrive each working day. Each takes around 5 minutes: find the booking, check the carrier site, reply.
Bills of lading and invoices are attached and sent by hand, often after the customer has asked for them.
What we build
- 1
Tracking in one sheet
Shipment milestones are pulled from carrier and visibility platforms into one status list.
- 2
Updates before anyone asks
Customers get an email at departure, arrival, customs clearance and delivery, with the right documents attached.
- 3
Status emails answered
Incoming status questions are answered from the tracking data. Anything else is drafted for operations to send.
Before and after
| Step | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Status email | About 5 minutes each | Most answered automatically |
| Sending documents | On request | Attached to milestone emails |
| Exceptions | Found when a customer complains | Flagged to operations |
Where a person stays in control
Delays, damage and customs issues always go to a person. Automated messages only report what the tracking data shows.
Running cost
Roughly S$300–600 a month for tracking APIs, AI usage and hosting.
Tools
- Carrier tracking or a visibility platform
- Microsoft 365 or Gmail
- AI assistant
- n8n
How the numbers work
- 80 status emails a day at 5 minutes ≈ 6.7 hours × 22 days ≈ 147 hours.
- We assume 70% are handled automatically ≈ 103 hours.
- Operations time costed at S$30 an hour: 103 × S$30 = S$3,090.
Estimates, not promises. Use the savings calculator with your own hours and costs.
Want this for your business?
A free 30-minute call is enough to tell whether it fits, what it would take and what it would cost.