Beyond the Freight Bill Audit
“We provide scalable freight bill audit and payment services with the flexibility to handle everything.” Scott Matthews President, Freight Audit and Payment AFS Logistics
This provides clients an additional layer of protection, in the unlikely event A3 should run into nancial problems. As shippers increasingly look for enhanced services and added value from their FBAP providers, A3 Freight Payment continues to meet their needs. “Our direction and focus are on using freight data to help companies identify and leverage opportunities for cost sav- ings and ef ciencies,” Cameron says.
AFS’ audit process typically identi es errors that account for up to 8% of cli- ents’ transportation expenses, Matthews says. The mode of transportation and audit rules established by the client may impact what an individual client may observe, he adds. Establishing a Continuous Improvement Process AFS partnered with a large consumer electronics and technology client that has signi cant global transportation spending, as well as complex business rules, coding logic, and match pay- ment criteria. AFS established a continuous improvement process, including identify- ing and prioritizing transaction types that were falling into exceptions and required manual interventions. AFS then worked with the company and its carriers to de ne the root causes of the process failures, and then imple- mented corrective action to prevent future transactions from moving into exceptions. “This improved the rst pass process yield and the invoice audit cycle time,” Matthews says. AFS will continue to grow both organically and through acquisitions, Matthews says. “The acquisitions provide access to a greater volume of market data that can be leveraged to the bene t of
our clients, while continued investments in our AFSmart technology suite ensures that cutting-edge solutions remain as a foundation to provide excellence in cli- ent deliverables,” he says. ARTC LOGISTICS Trustworthy and Transparent ARTC Logistics, formerly AR Traf c Consultants, brings more than ve decades of transportation experience and expertise, as well as a proprietary suite of technology tools to help its clients man- age their freight expense. The company’s agship software, CalcRate , streamlines shipping processes and reduces shippers’ costs by storing all its clients’ carrier rates and supporting carrier selection information. It also pro- vides rating and freight audit/payment and tracking functions. ARTC Logistics’ CalcRate Shipping Portal combines all elements of the com- pany’s other products, including rate shopping, carrier selection, load ten- dering, shipment rating, advance ship noti cation, and tracking and report- ing functions. Shippers can easily use all products from one site. Over the past year, more shippers have focused on managing their inbound freight spend, says Nick Fisher, director of sales and partnerships. However, they typically don’t control these shipments, which are tendered by their vendors, he adds. To help manage this expense, ARTC’s Vendor Portal enables them to easily let their vendors know which carriers they should use. “The vendors can use it to access open orders for their customers (ARTC’s shipper clients) and then the portal will automatically select the appropriate car- rier and tender the load,” Fisher says.
AFS LOGISTICS Data-Driven, Time-Tested Logistics Expertise
Now in its fth decade, AFS Logistics has expanded from one location in Shreveport, Louisiana, to eight locations in North America. It manages more than $11 billion in freight spend and helps more than 1,800 clients across 35 coun- tries save more than $180 million from their annual transportation expenses. In 2023, for the fourth time, AFS Logistics was added to the Inc. 5000 list, a recognition that it remains one of the country’s fastest-growing private compa- nies. Its growth is a result of both organic client growth and acquisitions, says Scott Matthews, president, freight audit and payment. Even as it has grown, AFS retains the exibility to support small ship- pers, global enterprise organizations, and most companies in between. Its cli- ent list spans consumer packaged goods companies, retail and ecommerce rms, medical and healthcare enterprises, and consumer electronics companies, among others. “We provide scalable freight bill audit and payment services with the exibility to handle everything,” Matthews says.
“When it comes to freight payment and audit, having access to the stored contracted rates will allow you to be more effective in auditing the freight bill.” Nick Fisher Director, Sales and Partnerships ARTC Logistics
76 Inbound Logistics • September 2023
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