Executive Summary
An Australian regional logistics company achieved AUD 3.2 million in annual savings and unlocked the equivalent of 70 FTEs in efficiency gains by standardising depot processes, consolidating customer support, and automating core scheduling and billing workflows.
Client Overview
The client is a mid-sized freight and logistics provider, specialising in regional parcel delivery and warehousing services. Operating across several depots, the company wanted to reduce rising costs while creating a more consistent customer experience and scalable operations.
Challenge
The business faced operational inefficiencies caused by siloed processes across depots and manual handling of critical workflows. Key challenges included:
- High administrative overheads for scheduling, billing, and inventory tracking.
- Inconsistent customer service, with enquiries handled differently across sites.
- Manual stock transfer processes, causing delays and errors.
- Difficulty scaling support capacity during seasonal demand surges.
Solution
We undertook a process improvement and systems redesign program, focused on simplification and scalability:
- Conducted end-to-end mapping of logistics and customer service operations.
- Recommended centralisation of contact centre activities, diverting retention and account queries from depots to a shared hub.
- Introduced automation for billing, scheduling, and stock transfers to reduce manual work.
- Partnered with technology vendors to deploy workflow tools and a self-service portal for customers.
- Supported leadership in vendor contract renegotiations, reducing cost exposure for redeliveries and returns.
Outcome
The transformation delivered measurable improvements:
- AUD 3.2 million in annual savings through automation, contract changes, and centralisation.
- 70 FTEs equivalent efficiency gains, allowing redeployment of resources to higher-value activities.
- 75% of customer interactions redirected to the central hub, reducing pressure on depot staff.
- Digital self-service adoption increased by 35%, lowering dependency on phone-based support.
- Improved cost recovery and accountability across the supply chain.
Strategic Impact
By consolidating and modernising its operations, the client transitioned from fragmented depot-level practices to a streamlined, scalable logistics model. The new structure supports cost efficiency, improves customer experience, and enables the company to handle seasonal growth without adding equivalent headcount.