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Intelligent document processing (IDP) in logistics & transportation

  • Accelerate logistics document management
  • Automate extraction from email, PDFs, scans, and portals
  • Eliminate manual entry and errors
  • No coding knowledge needed
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Works with TMS • FMS • WMS • ERP

What is Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) in Logistics

Automate the capture, classification, and extraction of critical data from unstructured and semi- structured logistics documents, bills of lading, CMR/eCMR, packing lists, invoices, delivery notes, and PODs, using AI, OCR, ML, and NLP. Improve accuracy, cut processing time, and unlock reliable, real- time data flows across your supply chain.

Why it matters in Europe: Road freight relies heavily on the CMR consignment note (including eCMR). Across the EU and UK, an estimated ~470 million CMR documents are issued annually, making automation a high-impact efficiency lever for LTL/FTL forwarders.

How Shipix DataMaster IDP can help your Logistics Document Processing?

Data Master IDP Offers solutions in helping digitize paper documents, thus improving storage and archiving of all necessary documentation. It offers automation in processing and organization and assists in accurate completion of unstructured and semi- structured documentation.

The sheer volume of documents for a shipping company of any size can be daunting, Data Master IDP offers efficient data processing solutions and readability, ease of parsing to all interested parties as well as increased transparency.

Streamlining Logistics Document Management

  • Ingest orders from shared inboxes.
  • Auto-detect document types (BOL, CMR, invoice, POD).
  • Route exceptions to humans with full audit trails.
  • Scale peaks without extra headcount.

Minimize Mistakes, Faster Turnarounds

  • Ingest orders from shared inboxes.
  • Auto-detect document types (BOL, CMR, invoice, POD).
  • Route exceptions to humans with full audit trails.

Data Standardization in Logistics

  • Ingest orders from shared inboxes.
  • Auto-detect document types (BOL, CMR, invoice, POD).
  • Route exceptions to humans with full audit trails.

GDPR Compliance

Operate with GDPR-ready controls designed for controllers and processors:

  • Contracting & roles: Sign Data Processing Agreements reflecting Article 28 responsibilities; support SCCs when needed.
  • Data minimization: Capture only what’s necessary for the purpose (Art. 5(1)(c)). Configure field-level extraction and retention policies.
  • Security of processing: Apply appropriate technical and organizational measures—encryption in transit/at rest, access controls, audit logs—per Article 32.

Shipix supports your compliance program; your organization remains the data controller responsible for lawful basis, notices, and retention.

Best IDP Use Cases in Logistics

Customs Declarations

Handle important documents with ease with the help of Data Master IDP.

Freight Quotes

Utilize AI-powered data extraction to keep track of your data.

Bills of lading

Leverage AI-powered Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) to process data from any field from your Bill of Landing (BOL).

Dangerous Goods Declarations

Make sure compliance and safety procedures are observed during processing with our Intelligent Document Processing (IDP).

Purchase Orders

Process your Purchase Orders quickly utilizing our IDP.

Delivery Receipts

Parse documents in seconds with our Intelligent Document Processing (IDP).

IDP real-world example (LTL/FTL freight forwarder)

A mid-size forwarder in the DACH region handles ~1,000 weekly LTL/FTL orders, mostly arriving via shared inboxes. With Shipix IDP, they:

  • Auto-classify incoming emails and attachments (BoL, CMR, delivery notes).
  • Extract parties, references, pallets, dims/weights, and dates.
  • Validate against TMS master data and flag exceptions.

70%+

Efficiency gains

Achieve high straight-through rates and faster handoffs to dispatch—consistent with industry results where IDP has delivered 70%+ efficiency gains and major cycle-time reductions.

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Frequently Asked
Questions

Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) is an AI-powered technology that automates how logistics companies handle their paperwork. It uses tools like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Optical Character Recognition (OCR), and Machine Learning (ML) to automatically capture, classify, and extract key information from documents. This means you can process bills of lading, CMR notes, packing lists, invoices, and proof of delivery (POD) without manual data entry. The goal is to improve accuracy, speed up processing, and create a reliable flow of data across your entire supply chain.

Implementing an IDP solution like Shipix DataMaster can transform your operations in several key ways:

  • Eliminate Manual Errors: By automating data extraction, you cut down on costly mistakes from manual keystrokes, such as incorrect addresses or quantities.
  • Accelerate Turnaround Times: IDP processes documents in seconds, not hours. This speeds up everything from customs declarations to invoicing, helping you get paid faster.
  • Streamline Document Management: The system can automatically ingest documents from emails, sort them by type (e.g., Bill of Lading vs. Invoice), and route any exceptions to a human for review.
  • Standardize Your Data: IDP converts messy, unstructured data from PDFs, scans, and emails into a clean, standardized format (like JSON or CSV) that your TMS or ERP system can use instantly.

Scale Efficiently: You can handle sudden increases in document volume without needing to hire more staff, making your operations more flexible and cost-effective.

IDP is versatile and can process a wide range of unstructured and semi-structured documents that are critical to logistics and transportation. Shipix DataMaster is specifically trained to handle:

  • Bills of Lading (BOL)
  • CMR / eCMR Consignment Notes
  • Proof of Delivery (POD) / Delivery Receipts
  • Purchase Orders (PO)
  • Customs Declarations
  • Freight Quotes
  • Dangerous Goods Declarations
  • Invoices and Packing Lists

The system is designed to adapt to new document layouts automatically, so you don't have to rely on rigid templates.

No, not at all. Our platform is designed to be user-friendly and requires no coding knowledge. You can set up and manage your document processing workflows without needing an IT team, empowering your operations staff to directly oversee automation.

The CMR consignment note is a cornerstone of road freight across the European Union and the UK. An estimated 470 million CMR documents are issued every year. Manually processing this massive volume is slow, expensive, and prone to errors. Automating CMR processing with IDP offers a huge opportunity for LTL and FTL forwarders to gain a major competitive advantage through increased efficiency and accuracy.

Yes, our platform is built with GDPR compliance in mind. We provide the necessary controls for data controllers and processors, including:

  • Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) that align with Article 28.
  • Data minimization features to extract only the necessary information.
  • Robust security measures, such as encryption and access controls, as required by Article 32.

While Shipix supports your compliance program, your organization remains the data controller responsible for its own GDPR obligations.

See Intelligent Document Processing in Action

Ready to eliminate manual data entry, reduce costly errors, and accelerate your entire document workflow? Schedule a live demo to see how Shipix DataMaster can automatically process your bills of lading, CMRs, invoices, and PODs.

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