Start Here: Quick Lane Snapshot

• How many sea trade lanes do you actively move cargo on today? Options: 1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-10, More than 10
• Which three lanes create the most volume or cost pressure for you?
• Estimate the monthly TEU or metric ton volume on those top lanes Options: <50 TEU / <100 MT, 50-200 TEU / 100-500 MT, 201-500 TEU / 501-2,000 MT, 501-1,000 TEU / 2,001-5,000 MT, More than 1,000 TEU / 5,000+ MT
• Who on your team is the day-to-day contact for carrier bookings and exceptions? Options: Supply chain director, Logistics manager, Trade compliance officer, Procurement manager, Other
• Pinpoint the single lane, account, or timing constraint that would make you postpone evaluating a new logistics partner

Where the Work Actually Lives

• When a lane misses its transit promise, what downstream process breaks first at your plant or warehouse? Options: Production schedule, Warehouse labor planning, Customer deliveries, Customs clearance hold, Other
• Describe the typical handoffs from carrier to port agent to inland haulier on that lane
• How often do documentation errors, such as bill of lading, commercial invoice, or HS codes, trigger a hold at origin or destination? Options: Every shipment, Monthly, Quarterly, Rarely
• Which document or data field causes the most rework in your experience? Options: Bill of lading details, HS code classification, Invoice values, Consignee/notify party data, Packing list weights/dimensions, Other
• Do you have a standard booking cutoff window and how strictly is it enforced? Options: Yes, strictly enforced, Yes, loosely enforced, No standard window, Varies by lane

What's Causing the Most Headaches?

• What single failure in your current lane setup would make you stop a pilot or walk away?
• Tell me about a recent demurrage or detention charge event, what caused it, and how it was resolved
• Approximately how much do exception handling costs add to a container on affected lanes? Options: Less than $100, $100-$500, $501-$1,500, $1,501-$5,000, More than $5,000
• Who ends up owning claims and recovery work when cargo is lost or damaged? Options: Internal logistics/claims team, External claims specialist, Carrier handles claims, Split ownership, Other
• List the frequent triggers for customs delays on your import lanes over the past 12 months

The Alternatives You're Weighing

• If you keep your incumbent arrangement, what would have to be true about its performance for you not to select a new partner?
• Name the external options you have evaluated so far, including different forwarders, carriers, or an in-house solution Options: Other forwarders, Different carrier relationships, In-house coordination, Platform or TMS change, No alternatives evaluated yet, Other
• Is anyone inside your organization advocating to solve this without an external partner, and why? Options: Yes, cost reasons, Yes, control reasons, No, prefer external partner, Undecided
• What conditions would have to hold for you to stay with the incumbent rather than change providers?
• Select the primary reasons you are considering a change now Options: Capacity constraints, High demurrage or detention, Documentation errors, Slow customs clearance, Lack of visibility, Cost pressure, Inconsistent service, Other

If Everything Went Right, What Would That Unlock?

• Identify one measurable outcome that would make a new logistics relationship unquestionably better than your current setup
• Describe how you currently measure on-time delivery by lane, and the targets you expect from a partner
• List the KPIs beyond transit time that matter most to you, for example customs clearance time, claims rate, or demurrage exposure Options: Customs clearance time, Claims frequency and $ value, Demurrage/detention incidents, Documentation error rate, In-transit visibility, Cost per container, Other
• If a pilot proves the numbers, what internal approvals or procurement steps would accelerate signing within two weeks?
• Select the financial or operational thresholds that would be a pass for you in a pilot Options: % reduction in total landed cost, % improvement in on-time delivery, Days reduction in customs clearance, Max demurrage per container, Reduction in documentation errors, Other

Are You Ready to Execute?

• Identify any technical or regulatory blocker on your side that could prevent onboarding within 6 weeks
• Confirm whether you can provide an EDI or API endpoint for booking and shipment status, or if you will need file uploads and email feeds Options: Full EDI/API available, Partial API available, Only file uploads available, Only email-based booking, No technical endpoints available yet
• Name the team or role that owns your TMS and customs broker integrations, and whether they can commit resources during onboarding
• Estimate how clean and accessible your shipment master data is, for example party addresses, HS codes, and product descriptions Options: Mostly clean and accessible, Moderately clean with gaps, Significant cleanup required, Data ownership is unclear
• Choose the regulatory or compliance approvals that could gate go-live Options: Importer of Record registration, Customs brokerage contract, Licenses and permits, Pre-arrival filing capability, Bonding or security requirements, Other
• Point to the single constraint that would immediately stop the project

Pilot Shipment: The Proof That Matters

• Imagine the pilot meets transit times but still requires manual document corrections at destination, would you accept that as a successful proof of concept? Options: Yes, if transit and cost meet targets, No, documentation must be correct, Maybe, depends on frequency of corrections, Unsure
• Specify the transit time variance versus schedule that would be acceptable for the pilot lane Options: On schedule or earlier, Within 1-2 days, Within 3-5 days, More than 5 days is unacceptable
• Provide the document sets that must be validated during the pilot, for example master bill of lading, arrival notice, commercial invoice, packing list
• Explain how you will measure exception handling success during the pilot, and who has final sign off
• Choose the pilot acceptance criteria that would allow rapid scaling to other lanes Options: Transit time within agreed window, Documentation error rate under X%, Claims reduction by Y%, No material demurrage incidents, Consistent booking confirmations, Other

Timelines, Decision Triggers, and Next Steps

• Pinpoint the internal approvals that would still delay signature beyond 30 days even if the pilot meets your targets
• When do you need the new lane cover in place to avoid operational risk, month and year? Options: Within 1 month, 1-2 months, 3-6 months, More than 6 months, Date TBD
• Provide the essential stakeholders that must be engaged before pilot approval Options: Supply chain leadership, Procurement, Legal/compliance, Operations/warehouse, Finance, IT/TMS owners, Other
• Rank the criteria you would use to prioritize lanes for follow-on pilots Options: Volume, Cost impact, Supply chain risk, Strategic customer importance, Regulatory complexity, Other
• State your target decision date after the pilot completes Options: Immediately within 1 week, Within 2-4 weeks, Within 1-2 months, Longer than 2 months, TBD
• Assuming the pilot delivers the agreed KPIs, what single remaining objection could still prevent you from signing within two weeks?

• Pilot Shipment Experience Session

• Confirm the current state and its cost
• You confirm the documented current state and the concrete cost (demurrage, detention, manual hours) these incidents create.
• Confirm pilot lane and shipment window (date range) within 3 business days.
• You agree the pilot lane, shipment window, and measurable acceptance criteria for transit, documentation accuracy, and exception resolution.
• Agree pilot scope and success metrics
• Provide final shipper documentation set for the pilot, including commercial invoice, packing list, and any required export declarations.
• You validate that the runbook and escalation path, when executed, will demonstrate the future state described.
• Provide last-mile contact matrix and receiving facility access instructions required for delivery.
• Walk through the pilot runbook and documentation checklist
• You commit to the immediate action items required to execute the pilot within the agreed window.
• Simulate exceptions and escalation paths
• Deliver the pilot runbook including nominated carrier/agent details, expected transit milestones, required document templates, and exception escalation steps within 3 business days.
• Execute the pilot shipment and collect evidence: ETA variance, document discrepancy count, and time-to-resolution for any exceptions, then present results in a follow-up review within two business days of delivery.
• Confirm acceptance criteria and data collection plan
• Forced validation, confirm this maps to your need
• Next steps and commitments

• Pilot Shipment Experience Session
• Pilot Shipment Experience Deck
• Pilot Shipment Solution Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Ocean Freight Booking and Rate Negotiation
• Voyage Chartering and Vessel Contract Execution
• Port Agency Representation and Terminal Handling
• Export and Import Customs Declarations
• Bills of Lading Issuance and Document Management
• Container Stuffing, Stripping, and Lashing
• Port-to-Door Multimodal Transportation
• Demurrage and Detention Charge Negotiation
• Cargo Tracking and Exception Management
• Claims Handling for Damage and Loss
• Hazardous Goods Handling and Compliance
• Project and Breakbulk Heavy-Lift Coordination
• Consolidation and Deconsolidation (LCL/FCL) Services
• Customs Bonding and Duty Payment Facilitation

Ocean Freight Booking and Rate Negotiation

• Which trade lanes and container equipment (20ft dry, 40ft dry, 40ft high-cube, reefer, flat-rack, open-top, bulk/breakbulk) should bookings and rate negotiations cover? Options: 20ft dry, 40ft dry, 40ft high-cube, Reefer, Flat-rack / open-top, Bulk / breakbulk
• What target transit time windows (door-to-door in days) should negotiated rates guarantee per lane? Options: <= 7 days, 8-14 days, 15-30 days, Custom
• Do you require fixed-rate contracts, seasonal spot pricing, or a hybrid tiered pricing model? Options: Fixed contracts, Spot pricing, Hybrid (tiered)
• How should peak-season surcharges and bunker adjustment factors be applied and reconciled in invoices? Options: Included in line rate, Separate surcharge with pass-through, Capped surcharge with reconciliation, Other
• Who in your organization is authorized to approve rate cards, volume tiers, and routing exceptions? Options: Procurement / sourcing, Logistics / operations, Finance, Other
• Where should booking confirmations, executed rate cards, and SLA attachments be delivered or integrated (your transport management system (TMS), procurement system, API endpoint, email, shared drive)? Options: TMS or ERP, Procurement system, Integration endpoint / API, Email, Shared drive

Voyage Chartering and Vessel Contract Execution

• When do you require vessel nomination and laycan windows to be locked relative to cargo readiness? Options: 7+ days before loading, 3-6 days before, Within 72 hours, Flexible
• List cargo characteristics that affect chartering (out-of-gauge dimensions, single-piece weights, palletized vs floor-loaded, hazardous) and provide typical dimensions and weights.
• Provide acceptable vessel types and minimum deadweight or TEU capacity thresholds per route.
• Specify charter party clause preferences for demurrage, despatch, and off-hire you require for voyage contracts.
• Are there pre-existing slot charter agreements, space-sharing arrangements, or co-loading constraints we must honor? Options: Yes, No
• Confirm required insurance limits and exposure thresholds for time or voyage charters relevant to your cargo values.

Port Agency Representation and Terminal Handling

• Identify the primary ports and terminals per trade lane where port agency representation and terminal coordination will be required.
• Estimate average call frequency per port and expected berth-processing hours that will affect agent staffing. Options: 1-2 calls/week, 3-5 calls/week, 6+ calls/week
• Select terminal services required at each port: stevedoring, pilot/port dues handling, husbandry, linehandling, cargo watch, shore power for reefers. Options: Stevedoring, Pilot/port dues handling, Husbandry, Linehandling, Cargo watch / shore power
• Indicate any special terminal permits, ISPS access credentials, or port passes your personnel require to execute agency tasks. Options: Port passes required, Local agent access sufficient, Other
• State standard turnaround expectations at the terminal for vessel turnaround and for container pick-up from berth. Options: <24 hours, 24-48 hours, 48-72 hours, Custom
• Will you require live vessel status updates via EDI/API webhooks or periodic email bulletins from the agent? Options: EDI/API webhooks, Scheduled emails, Portal only, Other

Export and Import Customs Declarations

• For which commodity groups and HS codes do you move goods that require special duty treatment, licenses, or permits?
• Describe your current customs registrations, bonded warehouse authorizations, and any fiscal representation arrangements used for imports and exports.
• Include the target customs clearance SLA per shipment (time from arrival to release) that you require for each lane. Options: Same day, 24 hours, 48 hours, 72+ hours
• Attach or list the commercial invoice, packing list, export license, and certificate of origin templates we must use for declarations.
• Outline the acceptance criteria that will validate successful customs declaration processing for pilot shipments (examples: release within 48 hours of arrival, 95% tariff classification accuracy, duties invoiced within 5 business days). Options: Release within 48 hours, 95% classification accuracy, Duties invoiced within 5 business days, Custom
• Measure your partners' preferred customs message formats and endpoints (UN/EDIFACT, ANSI X12, XML API, broker EDI) and indicate available credentials. Options: UN/EDIFACT, ANSI X12, XML/API endpoint, Email/portal only

Bills of Lading Issuance and Document Management

• Name the bill of lading types you require per lane: negotiable/master BL, house BL, sea waybill, or electronic bill of lading. Options: Negotiable / master BL, House BL, Sea waybill, Electronic BL
• Flag which parties must be named on the bill of lading (shipper, consignee, notify party) and any mandatory address or tax ID formats. Options: Shipper, Consignee, Notify party, Include tax ID / EORI
• Have you standardized whether original paper bills must be couriered or if an electronic Bill of Lading is acceptable for banks and consignees? Options: Electronic bill acceptable, Original paper required, Hybrid
• Prioritize how document corrections, endorsements, and release confirmations should be handled and logged during transit. Options: Provider manages corrections, Buyer approves each correction, Hybrid / case-by-case
• Assign the evidence that will confirm document management readiness for go-live (bank acceptance of eBL, consignee receipt of documents, zero bill of lading corrections during pilot). Options: Bank acceptance of eBL, Consignee acknowledgement of e-docs, No BL corrections during pilot, Custom
• Define where finalized shipping documents should be archived and who needs access (legal, customs broker, finance, carriers). Options: Shared drive, Integration endpoint / API, Portal access, Other

Container Stuffing, Stripping, and Lashing

• List the typical stuffing and lashing configurations you use (palletized, floor-loaded, dunnage, blocking and bracing) with maximum piece weights and dimensions.
• Recommend your standard VGM process and timing for declaring container Verified Gross Mass relative to gate-in or vessel cut-off. Options: Declare 24 hours before gate-in, Declare at gate-in, Provider to manage VGM
• Choose whether stuffing will occur at shipper premises, nominated stuffing facilities, or at terminal and whether we should provide labor and materials. Options: Shipper premises, Nominated stuffing site, Terminal, We provide labor/materials
• Determine special lashing or moisture-control requirements for reefers, project cargo, or vulnerable commodities and any required certificates.
• Validate required stuffing/stripping artifacts to capture (weight tickets, photos, tamper-evident seal numbers, stuffing checklist). Options: Weight tickets, Photos, Seal numbers, Stuffing checklist
• Schedule who in your operations approves stuffing plans and signs off on weight and lashing certificates. Options: Warehouse manager, Logistics manager, Third-party packing vendor, Other

Port-to-Door Multimodal Transportation

• Record the inland transport modes and container equipment you require per origin/destination (truck, rail, barge; chassis types; ADR-compliant trailers). Options: Truck, Rail, Barge, ADR-compliant trailer
• Route the expected weekly pickup and delivery frequency and preferred appointment booking rules. Options: Same-day pickups, Next-day pickups, Scheduled appointment only, Other
• Align final delivery addresses, receiving windows, and limited-access site requirements that carriers must adhere to.
• Break down the on-time pickup and delivery acceptance thresholds you will accept for port-to-door legs (for example, 95% pickups within 24 hours and 90% deliveries within appointment). Options: 95% pickups within 24 hours / 90% deliveries within appointment, 90% pickups / 85% deliveries, Custom
• Clarify who coordinates appointment booking and detention avoidance at the consignee site and who should receive carrier exception notifications. Options: Your operations team, Third-party logistics provider, Shared responsibilities, Other
• Capture required proof-of-delivery artifacts and integration endpoints for delivery confirmation (signed POD, delivery photo, GPS trace, API webhook). Options: Signed POD, Photo on delivery, GPS trace, API webhook

Demurrage and Detention Charge Negotiation

• Which historical demurrage and detention drivers have most affected you (late docs, customs delay, container availability, port congestion)? Options: Late documentation, Customs delay, Container availability, Port congestion
• What free-time allowances for import and export containers per port do you target as part of negotiations (number of free days)? Options: 0-3 days, 4-7 days, 8-14 days, Custom
• Do you have recent demurrage invoices or dispute cases we should review to set negotiation priorities? Options: Yes, No
• How should mitigation mechanisms be prioritized: pre-paid detention, carrier debit arrangements, terminal appeals, or bonded storage? Options: Pre-paid detention, Carrier debit arrangements, Terminal appeals, Bonded storage
• Who is authorized to escalate and sign off disputed demurrage invoices and what timeframe do they require for review? Options: Operations, Finance, Legal, Other
• Where do you want demurrage and detention KPIs reported and how often (weekly, monthly)? Options: Weekly, Monthly, On demand

Cargo Tracking and Exception Management

• When you analyze performance which primary tracking identifier do you use for reconciliation (booking reference, bill of lading, container number, purchase order)? Options: Booking reference, Bill of lading number, Container number, PO number
• List the top exception types you want automated alerts for (ETA changes, customs hold, damaged container, reconsignment, gate-out delay). Options: ETA change, Customs hold, Damaged container, Reconsignment, Gate-out delay
• Provide whether you have a standardized event taxonomy or if you will adopt our event map for milestones (vessel departure, arrival, container gate-in/out, EDI status codes). Options: Standard taxonomy provided, Adopt provider default, Need to align
• Specify which stakeholders should receive each exception notification (operations, procurement, compliance, finance) and preferred escalation order. Options: Operations, Procurement, Compliance, Finance
• Are target response and resolution SLAs required for exceptions (acknowledgement within 1 hour, resolution within 48 hours)? Options: Acknowledge within 1 hour, Acknowledge within 4 hours, Resolve within 24 hours, Resolve within 48 hours
• Confirm integration endpoints for real-time tracking updates (your API webhooks, SFTP feeds, EDI status messages) and whether credentials are available. Options: API webhooks, SFTP, EDI status (UN/EDIFACT), Email/portal

Claims Handling for Damage and Loss

• Identify your preferred claims notification timeline and required evidence formats (photos, survey report, bill of lading, delivery receipts). Options: Notify within 3 days with photos, Notify within 7 days, Notify within 14 days
• Estimate typical claim frequency and average claim value by lane to size reserves and liability handling. Options: Low frequency / low value, Occasional / medium value, Frequent / high value
• Select immediate actions required on damaged cargo at port (survey, repair, temporary storage, on-site corrective stuffing). Options: Survey, Repair, Temporary storage, Corrective stuffing
• Indicate whether the first course of action should be carrier recovery, insurer filing, or customer-led restitution for different claim types. Options: Carrier recovery first, Insurance filing first, Customer decision case-by-case
• State any pre-existing contractual liability limits or declared values per container that will affect claims processing and recovery. Options: Limits exist, No limits, To be determined
• Schedule expected claim-handling milestones for a typical incident (initial report, survey, provisional payment, closure) and target days for each milestone.

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Service Level Agreement (SLA)
• Pricing & Order Form
• Claims, Liability & Indemnity Agreement
• Onboarding Timeline & Acceptance Schedule
• Agent Appointment & Operational Authority
• Insurance Confirmation & Cargo Cover
• Customs & Regulatory Compliance Addendum
• Data Processing & Privacy Addendum (conditional)

• Go-live Health Check (Week 1-4)
• First Performance Measurement (Weeks 4-10)
• Acceptance Gate Review (Around Day 90)
• Quarterly Performance Review
• Operational Improvement Sprint Review (Monthly)

• Produce a prioritized remediation plan for the top recurring exceptions with target completion windows.
• Publish the formal acceptance record showing pass/fail per criterion and any conditional remediation items.
• If remediation is required, create a tracked remediation log with resolution dates and verification steps.
• Execute the incumbent decommission or read-only archiving steps and produce confirmation artifacts.
• Trend review for core metrics
• Confirm whether core metrics meet the targets recorded in Solution Scope and document any SLA breaches.
• Agree remediation priorities for the persistent exceptions that most affect delivery and cost.
• Ensure claims trends are understood and that a plan is in place to reduce claim frequency and resolution time.
• Re-confirm success criteria and owners
• Compile a claims trend report with root-cause examples and proposed process or documentation changes.
• Update the SLA exception log with any required contractual notifications or remedies.
• Sprint retro and status
• Confirm whether documentation accuracy rate and claims per 1,000 shipments improved following recent sprint activities.
• Agree the next sprint scope focused on the highest-impact operational fixes and document verification criteria.
• Ensure every open operational task has a clear completion condition and verification data to be reviewed next month.
• Update documentation templates and circulate revised carrier instructions for validation in the next sprint.
• Run a targeted training or runbook refresh for the top 2 operational handoffs responsible for the most errors.
• Publish the sprint verification checklist and required data artifacts to demonstrate metric impact at next review.
• Confirm the deployment components required for operations are live and validated.
• Create a prioritized list of blockers with agreed remediation actions and target dates.
• Agree who tracks each open issue and how progress is reported ahead of the first measurement meeting.
• Publish a deployment validation checklist showing integration status and message exchange logs.
• Record and circulate the prioritized blocker list with remediation steps and target completion dates.
• Run an initial sample shipment through the end-to-end flow and capture any documentation or handoff exceptions.
• Present first-period metric results
• Determine whether on-time delivery rate and average customs clearance time are moving toward the targets recorded in Solution Scope.
• Document root causes for each out-of-target metric and agree a prioritized set of corrective actions with target dates.
• Confirm the evidence package and timeline required for the Acceptance Gate review.
• Produce a metric pack with shipment-level examples for each flagged exception and distribute before the Acceptance Gate meeting.
• Implement agreed quick fixes for the highest-impact root causes and log progress updates in the shared issue tracker.
• Prepare documentation audit showing documentation accuracy rate improvements or outstanding gaps.
• Restate acceptance criteria and numeric targets
• Produce a documented pass or fail result for each numeric acceptance criterion recorded in Solution Scope.
• If any criterion failed or is conditional, agree a remediation plan with concrete dates and verification evidence.
• Confirm the incumbent system wind-down plan is executed or scheduled with archive/migration evidence captured.
• Detailed review on top recurring exceptions
• Metric movement for operational levers
• Present outcome data against each criterion
• Root-cause diagnosis for gaps
• Deployment and integration validation
• Claims and financial impact summary
• Document pass or fail per criterion
• Root-cause work and corrective tasks
• Agree corrective actions and owners
• Early adoption and processing signals
• Backlog grooming and next sprint plan
• Open issues and blockers
• Confirm timeline to acceptance gate
• Open issue burn-down and backlog prioritization
• Formal acceptance decision and signatory capture
• Immediate remediation actions and timeline
• Incumbent wind-down and data handover