Bill of Lading Verification and Audit Automation

Solution

This use case solution follows these general steps at a high level:

1. BOL Document Ingestion & Data Extractiona) ingests BOL documents received from carriers, freight forwarders, or internal shipping departments. b) extract key fields from diverse BOL formats. Extracted fields include: Shipper, Consignee, and Carrier names and addresses. PRO number, BOL number, Tracking numbers. Pickup and actual/estimated delivery dates. Freight description (items, SKUs, quantity, weight, dimensions, pallet/piece count). NMFC (National Motor Freight Classification) or HS (Harmonized System) codes, if present. Freight terms (e.g., Incoterms like FOB, CIF; payment terms like Prepaid, Collect). Special handling instructions (e.g., temperature control, fragile). Declared value for carriage. Signatures and endorsements (presence/absence).
2. Verification of Shipping, Freight Terms, and Chargesa) Validates that freight terms and payment terms (e.g., prepaid, collect) on the BOL align with the agreed terms in underlying sales/purchase contracts or as recorded in the ERP. b) Checks for consistency of weights, dimensions, and piece counts across all related documents. c) Identifies if any unexpected accessorial charges are indicated on the BOL that might later appear on the freight invoice.
3. Compliance and Regulatory Checksa) For hazardous materials (Hazmat) shipments, the AI agent verifies that proper Hazmat declarations, UN numbers, and endorsements are present on the BOL. b) Ensures adherence to specific customer shipping instructions or internal routing guide policies.
4. Discrepancy Identification & Exception Flaggingidentifies and flags a wide range of discrepancies, such as: Mismatches in quantities, weights, SKUs, or product descriptions between BOL and PO/SO. Incorrect or conflicting freight terms or Incoterms. Unauthorized carrier or service level usage. Missing or improper Hazmat declarations. Absence of required signatures, dates, or endorsements. Discrepancies between BOL declared value and commercial invoice value. Indications of potential damage or shortages noted on the BOL by the consignee.