One Version of the Truth - Schallenberg International Ltd

Like many freight forwarding businesses, Schallenberg International had gradually built its operational workflows across multiple systems and processes over time.

As shipment volumes increased and customer requirements became more complex, the business began recognising that some of its existing systems and ways of working were no longer keeping pace with operational demands.

Shipment updates, documents, and operational information were often managed across inboxes, spreadsheets, shared folders, and legacy processes that had evolved over many years. While those workflows had supported the business successfully for a long time, maintaining consistent visibility across the wider operation was becoming increasingly difficult as the business continued to grow.

Schallenberg wanted to create a more connected operational environment that could centralise information, improve visibility, and support the next stage of growth.

As operational complexity increased, disconnected workflows began placing additional pressure on the business.

Information was sometimes duplicated across formats, while shipment visibility and reporting became harder to manage consistently across multiple systems and processes. Certain workflows still relied on local knowledge and manual coordination, which made it harder to maintain the same level of visibility as volumes grew.

The business recognised that relying on disconnected spreadsheets and manual tracking processes could limit visibility across invoicing, operational milestones, and shipment activity.

This created a clear opportunity to reduce operational risk, improve consistency, and give teams a more reliable way to manage shipments from one central platform.

Schallenberg needed a more connected system that could support the business as it grew, without adding unnecessary complexity to the day-to-day operation.

Verso Waves worked closely with Schallenberg to understand how the business operated day to day before configuring the platform around those operational requirements.

The objective was not simply to replace one system with another, but to create a more connected workflow that reflected how the business already operated.

Shipment data, customer records, and operational documents were brought together into a single platform, giving the team access to one shared operational view across the business.

Customer welcome packs and authorisations to clear on behalf of third parties could be stored at company level, while shipping documentation remained linked directly to each individual job.

Visibility across the operation also improved significantly. Teams were able to manage and extract information in multiple ways, including by transport mode, shipment status, import and export activity, invoice status, and operational milestones.

The platform also introduced greater traceability across workflows. Teams could track shipment progress, operational history, and task activity more clearly, including visibility into who completed specific actions and when.

Because Verso Waves was built by freight forwarders for freight forwarders, the implementation focused heavily on understanding how the business already operated before configuring the system.

The modular nature of the platform meant workflows could be aligned to the realities of the operation rather than forcing the team into rigid processes or unnecessary change.

The move to a more centralised operational environment created what the team described as “one version of the truth”.

Instead of operational data being spread across spreadsheets, inboxes, desktops, and paper files, teams now worked from a shared operational view that improved consistency, visibility, and confidence across the business.

Following implementation, Schallenberg saw a significant improvement in operational visibility and consistency across the business.

The reduction in manual data entry, duplicated tasks, and disconnected workflows helped reduce operational errors while improving productivity across teams.

Reporting became more accurate through access to real-time operational information, while shipment visibility improved across the wider operation.

Teams could now work from the same live operational data rather than relying on duplicated spreadsheets, disconnected updates, and manual checks across multiple systems.

The business also experienced fewer missed operational milestones, reduced reliance on paper-based processes, and greater confidence across invoicing and shipment tracking.

Operationally, the impact was felt across the wider business. Unplanned quay rent and demurrage charges were reduced significantly, while the team reported noticeable improvements in workflow consistency, internal coordination, and day-to-day decision-making.

Unplanned quay rent and demurrage charges were reduced to zero following implementation.

Schallenberg also reported a significant reduction in operational errors, improved invoice visibility, and measurable time savings from removing duplicate manual handling and disconnected systems.