Case Study: Transforming Transportation Management Without Replacing the TMS

Introduction:

A leading North American manufacturer approached our team to address significant transportation management challenges. Their Transportation Management System (TMS) was not well understood by its users, had never been properly configured to match their operational workflows, and offered only sporadic integration with carrier partners. This led to limited visibility into cost-to-serve, minimal tracking of shipments in transit, and no centralised access to essential shipping documents.

Rather than assuming a full TMS replacement was required, we took a pragmatic, best-fit approach — optimising the existing system, adding targeted modular enhancements, and strengthening integrations. This avoided unnecessary disruption, preserved what was working, and achieved organisation-wide buy-in for the changes.

Background

The client’s transportation operations were hindered by:

• A TMS misaligned with real-world workflows due to poor initial setup

• Limited user understanding of how to leverage the platform for efficiency and analytics

• Sporadic carrier integration, resulting in inconsistent shipment status updates

• No cost-to-serve visibility, making profitability analysis impossible at lane or customer level

• Lack of real-time shipment tracking, creating a reactive approach to exceptions

• No central repository for BOLs, PODs, or other shipment documentation, slowing audits and claims

The result was a reactive, high-touch transportation process that increased costs, reduced service reliability, and strained internal resources.

Our Approach

We began with a deep discovery process to map the client’s operational reality against their TMS setup, gathering input from all stakeholders and users. This included understanding:

• Day-to-day workflows

• Carrier integration requirements

• Reporting and KPI expectations

• Pain points from both internal teams and external partners

Our analysis showed that many of the performance issues were not due to system limitations but rather configuration gaps, underutilised features, and missing integrations.

We then defined three potential improvement paths:

1. Reconfigure & optimise the current TMS to align with actual workflows.

2. Add bolt-on modules — such as AXXIS Rate Compass for smarter carrier selection and rate optimisation, and Bearing Analytics for cost-to-serve visibility and advanced reporting.

3. Full system migration only if the first two options could not meet requirements.

In this case, the solution was a hybrid of options 1 and 2:

• Reconfigured the TMS for streamlined workflows and accurate cost allocation

• Upgraded carrier integrations for automated status updates and POD retrieval

• Added AXXIS Rate Compass to enable data-driven carrier selection and rate optimisation

• Integrated Bearing Analytics to deliver real-time cost-to-serve visibility, performance reporting, and executive dashboards

The Results

The Results

Within 120 days of implementation, the client achieved:

• 15% improvement in on-time delivery performance

• Elimination of 90% of manual shipment status follow-ups

• Full digital access to shipment documentation for audit and claims processes

• Real-time cost-to-serve visibility via Bearing Analytics, enabling more profitable routing decisions

• Smarter carrier choices through AXXIS Rate Compass, driving measurable transportation savings

Lessons Learned

• Optimisation First – A poorly configured system can mimic the symptoms of an outdated one. Reconfiguration and training can deliver significant gains without replacement.

• Modular Enhancements are a Game-Changer – Targeted bolt-ons like AXXIS Rate Compass and Bearing Analytics can extend the life and capabilities of an existing platform.

• Stakeholder Involvement Increases Adoption – Engaging users early builds support for change and ensures solutions meet real-world needs.

  
  

Looking Ahead

The next phase of this engagement will explore predictive analytics within the Bearing Analytics to anticipate cost and performance impacts from seasonal trends, market shifts, and capacity fluctuations - enabling even more proactive transportation planning.

Closing Line

This engagement proves that the smartest solution is not always the newest system. At Origin North, we specialise in unlocking the full potential of existing technology before recommending replacement - combining configuration expertise, modular solutions, and change management to deliver measurable results.