Service
Systems for Vancouver freight forwarders — AI sorts the shared inbox, your data connects in the background
AI sorts what lands in info@ and routes it to the right person. A data layer links your forwarding software with Microsoft 365, so staff keep their tools and stop re-typing reference numbers.
What is a freight forwarding business system?
It is a layer behind the forwarding software and office tools you already use. It takes over the work people do by hand every day, starting with sorting email and connecting records that live in different places, while staff keep the screens they know.
For a freight forwarder in Greater Vancouver we did two things.
First, AI sorting for the shared info@ mailbox. Before it touched anything, it ran in shadow mode: the AI suggested a category for each email without moving it, and we compared its suggestions with how staff actually sorted them. They agreed 85% of the time, and the emails where they differed show where a person still needs to look.
Second, a design for a back-office data layer that connects their forwarding software and Microsoft 365, so staff keep their tools and enter each record once.
Hand-sorting the inbox vs. an AI first pass
A shared mailbox everyone can see is also one nobody quite owns.
What we build
AI sorting for the shared inbox
Email in info@ sorted by your own categories and routed to the person responsible. Anything uncertain stays with a person.
A shadow-mode trial
Before go-live, the AI only suggests and never moves mail. We compare its choices with your staff's and show you the numbers.
A back-office data layer
Links your forwarding software with Microsoft 365 so each record is entered once and nobody changes tools.
AI on your own servers
If client and shipment data is sensitive, the AI can run on servers you own instead of an outside service.
How we work together
A 30-minute call
Tell us how much mail comes in, who sorts it and which forwarding software you use. We'll find the place to start.
A written quote
Scope and cost in writing before any build begins.
A paid 2-week proof of concept
Usually a shadow-mode run, to see whether the AI matches how your team sorts. If you continue, the full cost is credited.
Go live
Only once you're happy with the comparison does the AI start sorting for real. A bilingual team supports it after launch.
Related case studies
Real deliveries, systems still running, clients anonymised.
Freight forwarding systems: common questions
Will the AI sort emails wrongly?
Sometimes, which is why we start in shadow mode. At one freight forwarder the AI agreed with staff's own sorting 85% of the time, and the rest went to a person. After launch, emails the AI is unsure about still go to staff.
What is shadow mode?
In shadow mode the AI watches but doesn't act. It suggests a category for each email without moving or answering it, and we compare those suggestions with what your staff actually did. You decide whether to switch it on after seeing the results.
Do we have to replace our forwarding software?
No. We add a data layer behind your current software and connect it to Microsoft 365, so staff keep using the tools they know.
Does it work with Microsoft 365?
Yes. The data layer is designed to connect your forwarding software with Microsoft 365, so day-to-day work in Microsoft 365 stays the same.
Is client and shipment data sent to an outside AI company?
It doesn't have to be. The AI can run on your own servers so the data stays with you. Which setup you get is written into the proposal before we start.
How much does a freight forwarding system cost?
It depends on mail volume and how many systems need connecting. You get a written quote first, then a paid 2-week proof of concept that is credited in full if you continue.
Further Reading: Related Services
Tell us about your situation
In 30 minutes, tell us what slows you down. We will say what we can do and roughly how long it takes.