Many freight forwarding companies start out using Excel – and for good reason: spreadsheets are flexible, everyone is familiar with them, and in the beginning they are usually sufficient. However, as shipment volumes grow, Excel quickly reaches its limits. This is not an isolated issue: According to a meta-study published in 2024 that evaluated 35 years of research on spreadsheets, 94% of business spreadsheets contain at least one error. This guide shows you how to recognize when it is time to make the switch and how to transition step by step to digital dispatch planning.
Key Facts at a Glance
| ✓ According to a recent meta-study, 94% of business spreadsheets contain at least one error. |
| ✓ A lack of interfaces, real-time collaboration, and automation are among the most common weaknesses of using Excel for dispatch planning. |
| ✓ A gradual transition – documenting processes, selecting software, migrating data, involving the team, and going live step by step – reduces the risks associated with the changeover. |
| ✓ CarLo replaces Excel spreadsheets with a central platform for dispatch planning, calculation, and communication that is accessible to everyone involved. |
Why Excel Reaches Its Limits in Freight Forwarding
Excel was not designed to meet the requirements of a growing freight forwarding company. As order volumes increase, typical problems begin to arise:
- No real-time collaboration: Multiple dispatchers cannot safely work on the same tour at the same time.
- Lack of automation: Tour planning, freight rate calculation, and status updates have to be maintained manually.
- No interfaces: Data relating to customers, accounting, or telematics has to be transferred manually.
- Prone to errors: Formula errors or overwritten cells often go unnoticed.
- Lack of traceability: It is difficult to track who made which changes and when.
Info box: Why are Excel spreadsheets so prone to errors?
A 2024 meta-study published in “Frontiers of Computer Science” and led by Prof. Pak-Lok Poon evaluated 35 years of research into spreadsheet errors. The result: Errors were found in 94% of business spreadsheets, primarily in three categories:
Slips – Typing errors or incorrectly linked cells
Omission errors – Data that was forgotten or intentionally not entered, often with the most significant consequences
Logic errors – Incorrectly structured formulas that may propagate across multiple worksheets
Signs That It Is Time to Make the Switch
- Tours and orders are becoming increasingly difficult to manage.
- Multiple employees maintain different versions of the same file at the same time.
- Customer enquiries about shipment status or arrival times cannot be answered quickly.
- Invoicing and post-calculation require a high level of manual effort.
- New employees require lengthy training because processes exist only in the minds of individual employees.
Excel vs. Digital TMS: A Comparison
Criterion
Real-time collaboration
Automation
Error susceptibility
Interfaces
Traceability
Excel Spreadsheets
Not reliably possible
Manual maintenance required
High (up to 94% of spreadsheets contain errors)
None; data has to be transferred manually
Difficult to track
TMS
Multiple dispatchers can work simultaneously
Tour planning, calculation, and status updates are automated
Significantly reduced through centralized rules
Integration with telematics, accounting, and customer systems
Changes and statuses are documented
Step by Step to Digital Dispatch Planning
Step 1: Document Processes and Define Requirements
Before selecting new software, it is worth taking a closer look at existing processes: What types of tours, customers, and special cases are there? Which interfaces to accounting, telematics, or customer systems are required? This analysis forms the basis for selecting the right software.
Step 2: Select the Right Software
Not every Transport Management System is suitable for every freight forwarding company. Relevant criteria include flexibility regarding rates and special cases, integration capabilities, and ease of use for dispatchers and drivers.
Step 3: Migrate Data and Clean Up Master Data
Customer, vehicle, and rate data from existing Excel spreadsheets must be transferred to the new system. This step also provides a good opportunity to clean up outdated or duplicate data records.
Step 4: Involve and Train the Team
The transition will only be successful if dispatchers and drivers accept the new software in their daily work. Early involvement, clear training, and a dedicated contact person for questions make the changeover easier.
[H3] Step 5: Go Live Gradually
Instead of switching all processes at once, a gradual transition is recommended: start with individual tours or locations before moving on to the complete rollout. This makes it possible to identify and resolve problems at an early stage.
What Changes After the Transition
After switching to a digital system, freight forwarding companies typically benefit from:
- An up-to-date overview of tours that is visible to everyone involved in real time
- Automated freight rate calculation instead of manual spreadsheet maintenance
- Fewer enquiries thanks to automated status and arrival notifications
- Shorter onboarding times for new employees because processes are mapped directly in the system
Digital Support with CarLo
CarLo digitalizes dispatch planning and replaces Excel spreadsheets or legacy systems with a central platform that is accessible to everyone involved. Tours, orders, rates, and status updates are brought together in one place, while interfaces to telematics, accounting, and customer portals further reduce manual data maintenance. Other freight forwarding companies that have switched from Excel or a legacy system to CarLo report noticeably shorter onboarding times and a significantly cleaner data basis for invoicing and post-calculation.
PRO Tips: The Transition Is Easier When…
- Use existing structures: …proven rate and customer lists are used as the basis for migration instead of entering everything from scratch.
- Start small: …a single location or group of tours is migrated first before rolling out the system across the entire company.
- Involve the team early: …dispatchers and drivers are involved from the beginning instead of being presented with a completed solution.
- Define clear responsibilities: …a dedicated contact person is appointed to answer questions during the transition phase.
- Clean up master data: …data quality is checked before migration – duplicate or outdated records will not disappear on their own.
Frequently Asked Questions
This depends on the size of the freight forwarding company and the complexity of its existing processes. In practice, a gradual transition over several weeks to a few months has proven effective.
Proven structures such as rate or customer lists can generally be used as the basis for data migration instead of having to recreate everything from scratch.
Yes. Even freight forwarding companies with only a few vehicles can benefit from automated tour planning, calculation, and status communication, particularly as shipment volumes increase.
No. A gradual transition – for example, starting with a single location or group of tours – reduces risk and makes potential problems visible at an early stage.
Conclusion
Excel is a good starting point, but as a business grows, it can quickly become a bottleneck – as well as a significant source of errors. Companies that systematically document their processes, select the right software, and approach the transition step by step gain a central and transparent basis for dispatch planning, calculation, and customer communication.
Sources
- Poon, P.-L., Lau, M.F., Yu, Y.T., Tang, S.-F. (2024): Spreadsheet quality assurance: a literature review. Frontiers of Computer Science, 18(2), Article 182203, DOI: 10.1007/s11704-023-2384-6
