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Transforming Logistics Efficiency with ONGAARD - The Smart Freight Audit Solution

  • 21 hours ago
  • 3 min read

In an environment of rising transportation costs, tight operating margins, and increasing compliance expectations, freight audit can no longer remain a manual, after-the-fact task. Traditional invoice checks, spreadsheets, and ad-hoc exception handling are slow, error-prone, and difficult to scale.


ONGAARD changes that.

ONGAARD is Origin North’s smart freight audit and payment-approval engine. It validates carrier invoices at scale, applies contracted rates and audit logic, manages exceptions, and produces payment-ready outputs that finance teams can trust. Confidence begins with compliance, and ONGAARD is built to deliver both.


Abstract tree logo with the text "ongaard" and slogan "Protect. Validate. Perform." on a light orange background.
Ongaard Logo: A commitment to protection, validation, and performance, symbolized through a modern, minimalist tree design on a warm, earthy background.

Why ONGAARD, and why now?

Many organizations know that something is wrong with their freight spend, but cannot quantify it. Symptoms show up everywhere:

  • Invoices that do not match contracted rates

  • Accessorial charges that vary more than expected

  • Duplicate or invalid fees that slip through during busy cycles

  • Missed recoverable claims and service failures

  • Limited visibility into true landed cost by lane, customer, or product


At the same time, logistics and finance teams are being asked to do more with less.


They face growing carrier networks, more complex customer requirements, and tighter financial close timelines.


ONGAARD solves this reality by introducing structure, automation, and transparency to every step of the audit process. It reduces manual work, strengthens financial controls, and exposes spend patterns that drive better procurement and operational decisions.


What ONGAARD does

ONGAARD is built around three core promises:

1. Protect margins

  • Detects rate errors, duplicate charges, invalid accessorials, and out-of-tolerance amounts.

  • Flags issues early—before funds are released to carriers.

2. Validate every invoice

  • Compares invoices against rate tables, rules, tolerances, and customer-specific audit logic.

  • Standardizes workflows across all modes and carriers.

3. Perform at scale

  • Automates high-volume checks that previously required hours of manual review.

  • Outputs a clean, payment-ready file aligned to your ERP/AP interface.


The result: less leakage, faster payment cycles, and fully traceable financial governance.


How ONGAARD fits within the Origin North ecosystem

ONGAARD is one of three core modules that make up Origin North’s integrated supply chain platform:

  • AXXIS Control Tower – execution, planning, tendering, and operational visibility

  • Bearing Analytics – data intelligence, insights, and performance diagnostics

  • ONGAARD – audit, compliance, and payment readiness


Together, they form a closed, intelligent loop:

  1. AXXIS executes and collects shipment data.

  2. Bearing transforms that data into insight.

  3. ONGAARD validates the financial outcome and feeds accurate cost data back into operations and finance.


Clients can deploy ONGAARD independently or as part of a broader 4PL or Control Tower engagement.


Built for finance, logistics, and carriers

ONGAARD is intentionally designed to work for every stakeholder in the payment cycle.

For Finance & AP

  • Stronger controls and audit trails

  • Fewer manual reconciliations

  • Predictable payment cycles and clean GL postings

For Logistics & Supply Chain

  • Confidence that invoices reflect contracted rates and service

  • Insight into cost by customer, lane, mode, and site

  • Time back to focus on service, relationships, and optimization

For Carriers

  • Transparent and consistent audit rules

  • Fewer disputes and short-pays

  • Faster payment once invoices are approved


ONGAARD’s approach strengthens trust between shippers and carriers by reducing ambiguity and friction.


Intelligence in Motion

Origin North’s guiding philosophy is Intelligence in Motion — connecting people, data, and technology so organizations can operate with clarity and confidence.

ONGAARD embodies this mindset:

  • Data is standardized and validated

  • Exceptions are routed cleanly and resolved quickly

  • Insights loop back into procurement, operations, and finance

Freight audit evolves from a back-office necessity into a strategic enabler.


What comes next

Over the coming months, we will share more about:

  • The most common freight audit gaps uncovered during onboarding

  • Best practices for tolerance management and exception handling

  • Payment flow models, governance structures, and trust-account considerations

  • Real-world examples of cost recovery and process automation


If you are looking to reduce leakage, strengthen financial governance, or gain deeper visibility into freight spend, we would be pleased to speak with you.


Ready to learn more?

You can reach us anytime through our Contact page —or schedule time to meet with our Client Solutions team at https://www.ongaard.ai/.

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