Business challenge

Rhenus is faced with the challenge of effectively and timely handling Pickup Requests sent by its customers through various methods, whether textual in the body of the email or through attachments such as TDs, Delivery Notes, and Bordereau. The heterogeneity of these formats and the large amount of information require an accurate and fast sorting process to ensure timely data entry into Rhenus' proprietary TMS and proper organization of pickups and deliveries.

Solution 

To address this challenge, Wenda has implemented an email management system integrated with dedicated back-end services, which starts with the creation of an email box dedicated exclusively to Rhenus.
Our automated system filters incoming emails to this box, removes all unnecessary information from it (forwarded text, signatures, etc.), and applies a filter that can distinguish between emails containing information in the body of the text and those with Pickup Requests contained in attachments.

This filtering operation is possible because Wenda uses two separate, purpose-designed models to process the two types of content: the NLP (Natural Language Processing) model analyzes the text of emails, while the Layout model decodes the layout of attachments.
Once the content type is identified, the Wenda-designed system routes the extracted information to additional specialized models for recognizing the specific information in the different attached documents-TD, Delivery Note, Bordereau, ... 

The extracted information is organized and returned in a standardized .json format, which is essential for further processing.
The extracted data is processed in another backend service, which converts the .json file to an .xml format that conforms to the requirements of Rhenus' proprietary TMS. In addition, to meet the interoperability requirements of the TMS, we perform an additional transformation from .xml to EDI, the format required by the transportation management system.

In parallel, to enable Rhenus operators to access the processed files, Wenda has implemented a system of data transfer via a dedicated FTP folder: EDI files are uploaded to this FTP folder, from which they are picked up and automatically routed to the Rhenus TMS system. This process occurs at internally defined regular intervals, ensuring a continuous and reliable flow of information.
In this way, operators at each of the Rhenus branches see the Pickup Requests appear in the TMS and can therefore activate their internal resources and initiate the related processes.

The system designed by Wenda routes the extracted information to additional specialized templates for recognizing the specific information in the various attached documents.

Benefits

The implementation of this solution has resulted in numerous benefits for Rhenus.

First of all, Wenda has streamlined and accelerated the process of capturing and processing Pickup Requests, significantly reducing manual email handling time.
By automating workflows and being able to interpret different types of content, we were able to ensure greater accuracy and consistency in extracting key information.

In addition, standardization of data through .json and .xml formats simplified integration with Rhenus' TMS system, enabling smooth and reliable transfer of information relevant to the planning and execution of logistics operations.

Finally, the adoption of EDI format for data transmission has improved the overall efficiency of the process, enabling direct and standardized communication between Rhenus and its business partners.

The project is set up as a continuous improvement initiative aimed at continuously optimizing processes and performance. Currently, the project is moving forward and making significant progress toward achieving its goals.