Third-Party Logistics Operator

The Challenge

The operator handled storage, pick-and-pack, and last-mile dispatch for a dozen client brands, with each client's stock and job history kept in its own spreadsheet by whoever managed that account. Nobody could answer what was sitting in either warehouse in total, and billing was assembled at month-end by scrolling back through those spreadsheets to count handled units and storage days — which meant chargeable work was routinely missed, and disputes with clients over what had actually been handled took weeks to settle.

Zoho Products Used

The Solution

Built a Zoho Creator operations application with one stock ledger covering both warehouses and every client, so inbound receipts, put-away, picks, packs, and dispatches are recorded as they happen with a scan rather than reconstructed later. Each movement carries its billing treatment, so storage days and handled units accumulate automatically per client and post to Zoho Books as a priced invoice at cycle end. Clients get a portal view of their own stock and job history, which turned billing disputes into a shared record both sides read from.

1
Phase 1
2 weeks
Warehouse and client-contract discovery
Walked both warehouses to record how goods physically moved, then read every client contract to extract what was actually chargeable — which differed per client in ways the spreadsheets had never captured consistently.
What came out of it
• Physical flow map for both warehouses
• Chargeable-event matrix per client contract
• List of work being done but never billed
2
Phase 2
2 weeks
Stock ledger and rate-card design
Designed a single stock ledger keyed by client, SKU, and location, with every movement type carrying its billing treatment so operations data doubles as billing data instead of being re-derived at month-end.
What came out of it
• Multi-client, multi-warehouse stock ledger design
• Rate card per client mapped to movement types
3
Phase 3
4 weeks
Operations app build
Built the inbound, put-away, pick, pack, and dispatch screens for scanner-equipped tablets on the floor, designed for gloved hands and a hurry rather than a desk.
What came out of it
• Scan-driven inbound and put-away screens
• Pick, pack, and dispatch flow with exception handling
• Cycle-count and stock-adjustment workflow
4
Phase 4
2 weeks
Automated client billing
Accumulated storage days and handled units per client directly from movement records, priced them against the rate card, and posted the result to Zoho Books as a draft invoice for review rather than assembly.
What came out of it
• Automated storage-day and handling accrual per client
• Rate-card pricing and draft invoice posting to Zoho Books
5
Phase 5
2 weeks
Client portal and analytics
Gave each client a scoped view of their own stock and job history, and built the internal dashboards for warehouse throughput, dock-to-stock time, and pick accuracy.
What came out of it
• Per-client portal view of stock and job history
• Throughput, dock-to-stock, and pick-accuracy dashboards
6
Phase 6
1 week
Phased client migration
Migrated clients onto the system a few at a time, running one billing cycle in parallel with the old spreadsheet for each so any pricing difference was explained before an invoice went out.
What came out of it
• Phased client migration with parallel billing cycle
• Floor-staff training at both warehouses

Before and After

Business Results

• Previously unbilled handling work captured automatically on every movement
• Month-end client invoicing reduced from a multi-day assembly job to a review
• One live stock position across both warehouses and all client brands
• Billing disputes settled from a shared job history instead of reconstructed evidence