IDC Vendor Spotlight - Utilizing a Low-code, No-code Cognitive Shipping Platform for End-to-End Shipping Process Automation

1. SPOTLIGHT
Sponsored by:WNS
Utilizing a Low-Code, No-Code Cognitive
Shipping Platform for End-to-End Shipping
Process Automation
July 2023
Written by: Ali Close, Research Manager, Intelligent Finance and Customer Care Business Process Services
Introduction
Severaldisruptive forcesarereshapingthewaylogisticsorganizations think
abouttechnology,causingadramaticshiftinhowshippingand
transportationismanaged.Digital freightbrokeragesand marketplaces
have improvedhowsellersandbuyers conductbusiness,sensorshave
enabled real-time trackingofgoods,and robotsandautonomous vehicles
have takenover freightshipping,tonamea fewexamples.
Analreadycomplexshippingenvironmentquicklybecamemore
complicatedduringtheCOVID-19pandemic.Shippingcostsand rates
skyrocketed,suppliersbecameunpredictable,shipmentsintotheworld's
mosthigh-trafficports weredelayed,andend-to-endsupplychainvisibility
provedtobeinadequate.Overlaythis withtoday'seconomicuncertainties
arounda lingeringrecession,productandlaborshortages,andademand
forsustainability,andtheresultisthat anorganization'sabilitytousedata
toobtain morereal-timepredictive insightshasbecome crucial tosurviving
andthriving.
Whilethisindustryhasbeenslower to adoptnewtechnologies,theinnovations havebeensteadfast.Still,many
organizations aredependingon antiquatedlegacysystemsthatarenotfullyintegratedand arehinderedbythe manual
processingofback/middle/front-officefunctionsacrosstheshippinglife cycle.Accordingto IDCresearch,addressing
manualprocesses withautomation isamongthetopdigitalinterventions thatbuyers oflogisticsservicesrequire to
improve theirshippingandlogisticsoperations.In fact,39%ofUnitedStates-based organizationssaidtheir largestdigital
investmentsby2023willbesoftware/cognitiveautomationand platforms. Taskssuchasorderscheduling,tracking,and
monitoringcan alreadybehandled throughsimple roboticprocess automation (RPA),thusleadingto improved customer
experiences.RPA canalsobe leveragedtooptimize freightmanagementthrough theautomationofrouteplanning,
appointmentscheduling,and loading. However,manyoftheseapplicationsarestillhappeninginsilos.
The shipping process can benefit from significant levels of intelligent automation to
improve accuracy, planning and routing, and real-time operations analytics. However, it
requires specialized communication management, data extraction, customer-specific
business rules, and deep integrations.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT
A fully integrated cognitive shipping
automation platform can improve the
accuracy of the shipping processes and
reduce manual efforts as well as improve
load planning/routing and on-time delivery.
KEY STATS
According to IDC research, 30% of shipping
and logistics services buyers want to use a
digital platform (i.e., a combination of
technologies, such as cloud or SaaS
applications, and significant levels of
automation) for basic shipping tasks such as
requesting quotes and booking shipments.
AT A GLANCE

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SPOTLIGHT Utilizing a Low-Code, No-Code Cognitive Shipping Platform for End-to-End Shipping Process Automation
Cognitive automation isparticularlyripe for shippingprocesses thatarenon-standardized withextensivedocument
flows,which can cause inaccuraciesleadingto shippingdelaysand financial losses.Anextremeamountofshipping
documents areproduced inshippinggoods,andtheyrequireapprovalbyvariousinternal andexternalparties,from
carriers to freightforwarders,consignees,and more.These documents contain vastamounts ofstructured and
unstructureddatageneratedbyaplethoraofshippingactivities (e.g.,activities for clientmanagement,vendor
management,and transportation management)anddocumenttypes (e.g., customsdeclarations, bill oflading,and
invoices).Emailisstillaprimarymeansofcommunication forpreparingashipment, whichalsocontributes to the
significantamountofunstructureddataproduced.Thismakesitchallengingforoperators to track,manage,and
prioritize tasks.Shippers wantthe flexibilityto communicate via different conversation channelsbeyondsimpleonline
portalsandemails,butlegacysystemshinder this.
Moreand more,buyers ofthird-partyshippingandlogisticsservices (andallmanagedservices)looktooneservice
provider relationship tomanagetheend-to-endexecutionofafunction —whether it'slogisticsandshipping,finance,or
procurement.Theyoftenare interested inintegrating these areas.IDCresearchshows 36% ofbuyers oflogisticsservices
wantto reduce the totalnumber ofmanaged serviceproviders (outsourcers)and consolidatesome orall.Amongthe
mainreasons whyisto establisha deep,collaborativerelationship where themanagedserviceproviderisingrained in
thebusinessandhas in-depthknowledgeoftheinsandoutsofthebusiness.From a capabilitystandpoint,organizations
wantaservice providerthatcan create andmaintainan ITenvironmentthatishighlyagile(e.g.,make changesquickly),
mobile (accessanywhere),andresilient(alwaysavailable).Thisincludesmodular platforms thatconsolidateall
interactionsintoasingularplatformand candrivetransformationwith integratedanalytics,data management,intelligent
workflows,RPA,and cognitive/artificial intelligence(AI).
Benefits of Enterprise-Grade Cognitive Shipping Automation Platforms
Leveragingonesingleplatform forall customer-relatedcommunications —with embedded capabilities fromnatural
languageprocessing, contextintelligence,middleware,intelligentrouting,businessrules, andanalytics —enables
organizations toachieve the following:
» Managementand trackingofall customer communication via various channels (e.g.,email,chat,bookingportals,
andEDI)in asingleplatform
» IntegrationofgenerativeAIcapabilities forimprovedservice qualityandenhancedagentproductivity
» Access to real-timedataand operational analyticsviadashboards/BItools,in addition toimproveddataaccuracy
» Fastervisibilityofshipmentinformation forimprovedloadplanning, routing,trackingandtracing
» Reduction inmanualeffortsacross theend-to-endshippingdocumentationprocess
» Reduction indocumentationcosts
» Taskprioritization
» Scaleup/down tomanage workloadspikesandpayperoutcome/transaction
» Improvedaccuracyofshippingdocumentationwith continuouslearningfeedbackloops toidentifybottlenecksin
complexprocess flowsand create a cultureofcontinuousimprovement

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SPOTLIGHT Utilizing a Low-Code, No-Code Cognitive Shipping Platform for End-to-End Shipping Process Automation
Considering WNS Malkom: A Cognitive Shipping Automation Platform
WNS Malkomis aproprietary,enterprise-gradecognitiveshippingandautomationplatform thatprocesses 7billion
shippingdocumentsannuallyfor freightforwarders,4PLsandshipping, trucking, andairexpresscompaniesacross the
globe.Theplatform isenhancedby AIandmachinelearning(ML)toaddressnon-standardized,manual,end-to-end
shippingprocesses.
Theplatformutilizesasecure,best-in-class,low-code/no-codetechnologystackand apay-per-usemodel withnoup-
frontsetuporimplementation costs. Itisa completelymodularplatformthatenables organizationstoaddressawide
rangeoftheircustomers across the transportationsegment,notjustwithin theshippingindustry.Itaddressesmultiple
modes fromtrucking,3PLs,andnon-vesseloperatingcommon carrier (NVOCC)operators,eachofwhichhas very
differentdynamics. Malkomhasbeenparticularlyappealingto European companiesdealingwith trade-and custom-
related changesand tothoseorganizations thatdon'thavethetalentpoolorbudgettointegrate with their customers'
systems for this typeofdataprocessing.Less-than-truckload(LTL)carriers,3PLs, freightforwarders,andocean carriers
have leveragedMalkom toautomate LTLbilling,customsprefiling,andshippingbillofladingcreationand amendment,
whichhashelpedimproveproductivitybyupwardof70%,accordingto WNS.Table 1presentsan IDCoverviewofthe
more complex case studiesand thebenefitsdeliveredacrossdifferentindustrysegments.
TABLE 1: WNSMalkom's Case Studies and Benefits
North American
LTL Carrier
United Kingdom–Based
Freight Forwarder
Global Ocean Carrier/
Freight Forwarder
Process Billoflading Customsdocumentation Accountspayableinvoices
Percentageofautomation (%) 60 85 90
Percentageofproductivity
improvement(%) 25–30 50–60 50–60
Businessoutcome
Reducedinvoicedisputes
by20%andimproved
on-timedelivery
Reducedturntimeby50%
andimprovedaccuracy
Improvedautomaticmatch
percentageandreduced
handlingtime
Source: WNS, 2023
Malkomusesan emailmanagement platform with embedded generativeAIcapabilities and advanceddatacapture
methods,includingartificialintelligence andmachinelearningmodels,toreadand contextualizeunstructured and
structureddata fromshippingdataincludingemailsandimages.Usingrules-basedsmart/digital validations,thedata
beingcapturedisbackedbymaster tablesand businessrulesspecifictoeach customer to ensuredataquality.
When the firstversionofMalkomwaslaunchedbyWNS,itwas abasicdigitizationengine forthe less-than-truckload
billingprocess, whichwas hard codedbydesignandenabledbysimpleworkflows.WNS enhancedtheplatformover the
followingyear, changingtoaserverlessarchitecturehosted onAWSso thatcustomers could scaleupanddown
seamlesslyasdocument volumes fluctuate.WNScompletely enhanced the learningmodule byaddingdeeplearning
algorithmsand abusiness rulesengine thatenhancedtheaccuracyofdataextraction,output,and the abilitytoread

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structured andunstructured formats.Inaddition,omni-channel inputs wereaddedbeyond onlineportals, whichwasthe
onlychannelsupportedatfirst,so there was greater flexibilityinhowoperators could communicate.
To furtherenhanceMalkom's capabilities,WNSpartneredwith theUnitedStates–basedstart-upandmiddleware
companyChain.io,whichenableslogistics companies to connecttheirsupplychainsoftwareandtechnologyproviders
withprebuiltintegrations.Thismade Malkom more versatile andmodular by integratingwithkeyindustryapplications
(e.g.,CargowiseandFlexport)toallow fordocument,freightinvoice,andshipment exchanges.Duringthis
iteration/upgrade ofMalkom,WNSalsoexpandedthe typesofusecases thatcouldbesupported,includingbooking,
accountspayable, file creation, HouseBillofLadingcreation,airwaybill creation,manifestcreation,customs filing,and
proofofdeliveryvalidation.
Today, Malkom'sentireworkflowhasbeen replacedbyano-code/low-codeplatformenabledbyplatformssuchas
AppianandSalesforceLightening.The entire workflow canbeeasilyconfigured,and customers getmore functionality
froma workflowperspective andintegrated email andexceptionsmanagement.Use cases andprocesses thatarenow
supportedinclude judgement-orientedprocessessuch asdisputemanagement,claimshandling,classificationof
commodities,and customerserviceemailresponses.Table 2highlightsthe keyfeaturesof MalkomincludingAI-enabled
data capture capabilities,digital validations,businessrulesengine,and low-code/no-codeworkflow.
TABLE 2: WNS Malkom's Key Features
Advanced Data Capture
Smart Validations and
Rules Engine
Low-Code/No-Code Workflow
Advancedmethods toreadinformation:
Deeplearning,algorithms,coordinate
based, andglossarybased
Automaticdatalookupsfrom
mastertables Omni-channelinputs
Custommergerprogramtoprioritize
themostaccurateoutput
Machinepredictionfor
improvedaccuracy
Emailmanagement, casemanagement,
andexceptionhandlingwithSalesforce
Easy-to-configure, customer-specific
business rules
Real-timeagentperformanceand
volumemonitoring
Referencenumberand
commodityvalidations GenerativeAIasanagentcopilot
Source: WNS, 2023
WNS isassessingproofsofconceptsto leveragegenerative AItoautomate customerqueries within Malkom.Inshipping
andlogistics,manyrequestsstartswith anemail,such asgettingaquote orpreparingforabooking.ChatGPTor
generativeAIcapabilities canlookatan emailthatcontainsimportantbookinginformation (e.g.,shipper,consignee,
commodity,andportforloading/discharge)to checkifallnecessarycomponentsarethere tocomplete abooking.Ifitis
not, ChatGPTor generativeAIcan createa responseandreplyto customers tosaythatmoreinformationis required.
Once informationis complete,the generative AIcanhand over the requesttoanother automation thread within
Malkomthatcan complete thebookingand respondbackto the customer.

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Challenges
WNS will need tobridge the gapbetween antiquated legacysystems and its
owndigitalsolutionstosupportcustomers in goingpaperlessin thisdigitization
journey.This will include allowingfor interchangeand communicationwith
otherkeysolutions,asitdoes with Chain.io,includingAPIsor EDIs.
Whilethereare fewdirectcompetitorsto WNSMalkom,end-user organizations
could looktoAI-powereddocumentautomationsoftwareproviders asone-off
solutions insteadofoptingfor amanagedbusinessprocessservicesorproject-
basedengagementwitha third-partybusiness processserviceprovider.Plenty
oforganizationshaveexperience with traditionalRPA services andsolutions
combined with OCR withhard-codedinstructionsfrom IT/apps where theycan
applyautomationinpockets.However,inthoseinstances,suchorganizations
wouldbe missingouton thedomain expertise,talent/resources,analytics
expertise, anddeep domainknowledgeofaserviceprovidersuchas WNS.
Conclusion
Shipmentvolumesarenotslowingdownanytimesoonas consumerdemandand ecommerce continueto accelerate the
growth oftheshippingindustry.Thismeansthefundamental processesand documentation thatsitbehind the
movementofgoodsacrossthesupplychain willremain complex,until thatentireprocess/workflow can getautomated.
Shippingandlogisticsproviders can benefitfromleveragingcloud-basedplatforms toautomateshippingdocumentation,
butserviceproviderselectionwillbe key. This paperhas talkedextensivelyaboutthetechnologybenefits. However,end-
userorganizationsshouldlookfor serviceproviderswith the domainandindustryknowledge,processexpertise, digital
andtechnicalexpertise,andtalenttosupportandmaximize this typeofinvestment.
WNS'deep expertise in
the shipping and logistics
industry, coupled with its
cutting-edge digital
capabilities and continued
investments in the
Malkom platform, offersa
compelling value for
enterprise customers.

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About the Analyst
Ali Close, ResearchManager,Intelligent Financeand CustomerCare Business
ProcessServices
AliClosecovers thefinanceandaccounting, customercare/contactcenter,procurement,logistics,and
analytics businessprocessoutsourcingservices markets.Aspartofdevelopingresearchforthis program,Ali
focusesonresearchrelatedtoIDC's3rdPlatform,particularlyinareasofintelligentautomation, platforms,
andbusinessprocess as aservice.
MESSAGE FROM THE SPONSOR
About WNS
WNS isadigital-firstbusiness transformationpartner tomore than 400globalorganizations,including25+ shipping
andlogistics companies.Our teamof6,300+ shipping &logisticsspecialistsacross 64delivery centers empower our
clients to elevate customerexperience,achievefinancial effectiveness,overcomeorganizationalsilos,convertdata to
insights, andimplementdigital.Leveragingdeepdomainexpertise and cutting-edgedigitalsolutionssuch as WNS
Malkom,an AI/MLdigitizationplatform,weenable them toaggressivelyand expeditiouslymovetowarddigitalization.
Whileour smartautomationand analyticscapabilitieshelpdriveintelligent,resilient,and sustainableoperations
acrossthevalue-chain –ensuringtheyarereadyfor the "next"in theshippingandlogisticsindustry.
To know moreaboutWNSShippingand Logisticspractice, readhere.
The content in this paper was adapted from existing IDC research published on www.idc.com.
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