Nathalie Aydin
Is Senior Consultant Portfolio Management Trade at KUMAVISION.
In day-to-day sales operations, quotes need to be sent out quickly, orders confirmed promptly, and deliveries processed on time. Manually adding shipping costs to quotes and orders is time-consuming, ties up resources, and is prone to errors. If the freight cost line is missing or calculated incorrectly, it leads to queries, rework, and, in the worst case, discussions with customers or internal correction entries..
So why not establish a reliable automated process – right where offers and orders originate?
With the automatic calculation of flat-rate freight costs in KUMAVISION trade365 This exact step is standardized and automated. Companies can choose to have freight costs automatically added when releasing sales documents, or calculate and apply them using a specific function. The logic is flexibly configurable: from the question "When should freight costs be included?" and Calculation basis and which document lines are included in the investigation.
Why manual freight costs become a risk in sales
In many organizations, the shipping cost line ultimately hinges on a manual step – and that's precisely what makes it prone to errors. Typical effects in practice include:
- Significant additional effort in day-to-day business, because freight costs must be added or checked for each receipt
- Inconsistent results, when different people make different assumptions
- correction loops, if freight costs are missing or do not match the delivery conditions or recipient
- Unclear margin, if transport costs are not reliably and immediately factored into the price consideration
Automated processes can provide a solution.
Automation instead of maintenance: This is how KUMAVISION supports trade365
The Automatic calculation of flat-rate freight costs This is precisely where it comes in. Companies can define when and how freight costs are added to sales documents – without any media breaks and without additional Excel logic.
Two paths – one goal: accurate calculation and presentation of freight costs in the document:
- Automatically upon releaseThe freight costs are automatically added when the offer and/or order is approved.
- Per functionAlternatively, they can be specifically calculated and applied via an action ("Insert freight costs").
An additional safety measure It creates an optional reporting logic: If freight costs are generally to be expected, but no determination is possible, the system can issue a notification – so that discrepancies are noticed early without unnecessarily blocking processes.
Manage freight costs in a process-oriented way – not by "rule of thumb".
Crucially, the determination must be rule-based and oriented towards the parameters that are truly relevant in trading. These include, among others:
- Delivery condition code
- Deliverer and Delivery transport method (e.g. Standard vs. Express)
- Country / Region and Postcode/area logic
- Weight and / or cart value (including any applicable freight allowances)
- Goods issue or delivery date as a temporal reference
This creates a mechanism that not only supplements a flat rate but also integrates into the actual shipping logic – thus contributing to calculation and process stability.
A measurable effect in everyday sales:
When used correctly, the automatic process works in several places simultaneously:
- Faster quote generation, because manual entry is no longer necessary
- Fewer corrections before release and in the further course
- Higher data consistency across all evidence
- Improved margin transparency, as transport costs are taken into account more reliably
Errors are reduced and freight costs do not become a margin killer.
"Freight costs are often a small step with a big impact in sales. When this item is automatically and rule-based incorporated into quotes and orders, it noticeably reduces rework – and at the same time creates more certainty in the calculation."
Nathalie Aydin, Senior Consultant Portfolio Management TRADE, KUMAVISION AG
Your benefits at a glance
- Automatic instead of manual: Flat-rate freight charges are reliably inserted – either upon release or with a click.
- Fewer errors, fewer follow-up questions: Standardized rules reduce deviations in day-to-day business.
- Flexibly configurable: The calculation logic and basis (e.g., value of goods or weight) can be adapted to your model.
- More transparency: Optional note if expected freight costs could not be determined.
And finally ...
In commerce, accurate freight costs are not merely a logistical factor, but can also be a strategic lever for marginThey often determine whether businesses are sustainably profitable, prices are calculated correctly, and cost risks remain controllable.
The trading solution trade365 KUMAVISION was developed specifically for such special circumstances and demonstrates its particular advantages over other solutions here.
For more information, please visit: Business software in the retail sector
