Automated workflows save time in a courier company by doing the routine steps that follow every shipment event without a person: creating proof of delivery (POD) and CMR documents, sending them to the client, notifying recipients and creating recurring courier orders. Even a small courier company can spend hours a day preparing and sending such documents by hand; rules that fire on events remove most of that work.
What is an automated workflow in logistics?
An automated workflow is a rule of the form “when this event happens, do this”. The event is something the system already knows about: a shipment is received at the warehouse, a parcel is delivered, a payment is confirmed, a time on a schedule is reached. The action is the step a dispatcher or an office employee would otherwise do: generate a document, send a message, create an order. Once the rule is set up, it runs the same way for every shipment.
Which tasks should a courier company automate first?
Start with the tasks that repeat for every shipment and follow a fixed pattern. These are the most common:
1. POD generation
When a delivery is completed, the proof of delivery is generated and sent to the client automatically. Nobody has to collect signatures or photos from drivers and assemble them into a report at the end of the day.
2. CMR generation
For international road transport, the CMR consignment note is created and dispatched as soon as the shipment is received, using the shipment data already in the system.
3. Recipient notifications with a one-time code
The recipient receives a one-time access code before handover. It confirms that the parcel goes to the right person and is needed for collection from parcel lockers.
4. ETA alerts
Clients and recipients are told the estimated time of arrival in advance. A recipient who knows when the courier arrives is more likely to be at home, which means fewer second delivery attempts.
5. Scheduled courier orders
Regular pick-ups, for example every weekday from the same shop or warehouse, are created automatically on the given schedule instead of being entered by hand every time.
6. Payment status messages
Payment confirmations and refunds are sent to the client as soon as their status changes, without a manual check.
What does automation change in daily work?
| Without automation | With event-based rules |
|---|---|
| Office staff prepare POD and CMR documents after the shift | Documents are created when the event happens and sent at once |
| Recipients call to ask when the courier arrives | Recipients get an ETA alert and a one-time code |
| Recurring pick-ups are typed in every day | Pick-up orders are created from a schedule |
| Payment questions are answered one by one | Payment confirmations and refunds go out automatically |
The main effects are less routine work for operators, fewer errors from retyping data, and better communication with clients, because status updates arrive in real time instead of on request.
How do automated workflows work in smartDelivery?
The workflow module of smartDelivery lets you define rules that trigger automatically when a chosen event occurs. Each rule links one event to one or more actions: generating CMR or POD documents, sending notifications and one-time codes, sending ETA alerts, creating courier orders on a schedule or reporting payment status. The rules use the order, shipment and delivery data that smartDelivery already holds, so no separate data entry is needed.
How do you introduce workflow automation step by step?
- List the repeated tasks. Write down what office staff and dispatchers do for every shipment and how long each step takes per day.
- Pick one task with a clear trigger. POD generation after delivery is a good first rule: the event is unambiguous and the result is easy to check.
- Run it next to the manual process. For one or two weeks, compare the automatic documents with the manual ones before switching the manual step off.
- Add the next rule. Move on to recipient notifications and ETA alerts, then to scheduled orders.
- Review the rules regularly. When clients, document templates or schedules change, update the rules instead of working around them by hand.
How do you measure the time saved?
Measure the office hours spent per day on documents, messages and order entry before you start. After each new rule, measure the same tasks again over a comparable period. Also track the share of second delivery attempts and the number of client calls about delivery status: both should fall when notifications and ETA alerts are in place.
Frequently asked questions
Which documents can be generated automatically?
In smartDelivery, proof of delivery (POD) after a successful delivery and CMR consignment notes when a shipment is received.
Does automation replace dispatchers?
No. It takes over the routine steps that repeat for every shipment, so dispatchers and office staff can spend their time on exceptions and on clients.
Is automation only for large courier companies?
No. Even a small courier company can spend hours a day on reporting documents, so the first rules pay off quickly at any size.
How does automation help with failed deliveries?
ETA alerts and one-time codes tell recipients when the courier arrives and secure the handover, which reduces second delivery attempts. Read more in logistics optimization for courier companies.
Next step: request a demo of smartDelivery to see the workflow module on your data.
