Case Study: How a Multi-Regional Forwarder Unified 6 Offices on One Platform

The Company

A mid-size freight forwarder with operations spanning two continents. Six offices: headquarters on the US West Coast, plus locations in Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Over 50 employees handling mixed FCL and LCL ocean freight, primarily serving retail importers moving goods from Asia to North America.

For more than five years, they ran their operations on CargoWise. It was the industry standard. It was what they knew. And increasingly, it was holding them back.

The Challenge: When “Industry Standard” Becomes a Liability

Complexity That Slowed Everyone Down

“The system is too complex. The procedure is very complicated. You can’t proceed even if you make a small mistake.” — Operations manager, Hong Kong office

What sounds like a training problem was actually a design problem. CargoWise’s comprehensive functionality came with comprehensive complexity. Every task required navigating multiple screens, following rigid procedures, and hoping you didn’t make the small mistake that would force you to start over.

For a team processing hundreds of shipments monthly across six time zones, this friction added up.

Pricing That Created Anxiety

“I’m scared to death every time I see a bill, I get a headache.” — Branch manager, US operations

The per-transaction pricing model meant costs were unpredictable. A busy month meant a bigger bill. Price increases—four in recent years—compounded the problem. Budgeting became guesswork, and every invoice arrived with a sense of dread.

Missing Features for High-Volume Operations

The Asia offices faced a specific challenge: they needed batch operations that CargoWise didn’t provide.

“Updating one by one… you will do it to death.” — Discussion with Asia accounting team

When a vessel schedule changed, the Taiwan and China offices needed to update invoice posting dates across dozens of shipments. When AR invoice numbers needed adjustment for e-invoice compliance, they had to do it shipment by shipment. What should have been a 10-minute task became hours of repetitive clicking.

Third-Party Workarounds

To avoid CargoWise’s per-filing fees, the company used external services for ISF and AMS filing.

“We didn’t use CargoWise to do this because CargoWise is too expensive. They use another third party.” — Branch manager

This meant double data entry: once in CargoWise for operations, once in the filing service for compliance. More labor, more errors, more complexity.

The Decision Point

The December 2025 pricing announcement was the catalyst, but not the cause. The cause was years of accumulated friction:

• Complexity that slowed operations
• Pricing anxiety that made growth feel like a penalty
• Missing batch features that wasted hours of labor
• Third-party sprawl that fragmented their workflow

When they calculated their true total cost of ownership—not just the CargoWise invoice, but the third-party tools, the double-entry labor, the training overhead—the number was sobering. They started evaluating alternatives.

The Requirements

Any replacement system needed to address their specific pain points:

Must Have:

• Batch update capabilities for invoice numbers and posting dates
• Integrated ISF/AMS filing to eliminate third-party tools
• Multi-region support with multi-currency accounting
• Predictable pricing that didn’t penalize growth
• Simpler interface that new hires could learn quickly

Nice to Have:

• Customer portal for shipper visibility
• Integration with major customer’s systems
• Mobile access for on-the-go updates

Non-Negotiable:

• US-based support with reasonable response times
• Dedicated contact during implementation
• Phased rollout option for multi-office transition

The Solution

After evaluating three alternatives, they chose GoFreight. Here’s what made the difference:

Custom Batch Features

GoFreight committed to developing the specific batch operations their Asia offices needed:

• Batch update AR invoice numbers (for China/Taiwan e-invoice compliance)
• Batch update invoice posting dates (for vessel delay adjustments)
• Batch status updates for shipments sharing containers

This wasn’t a standard feature request—it was custom development for their specific workflow. The fact that GoFreight was willing to build it, on a reasonable timeline, signaled the kind of partnership they were looking for.

Integrated Compliance Filing

ISF and AMS filing built into the platform. One data entry, automatic filing, status visible on the shipment record. No more third-party tools. No more double entry.

Predictable Per-User Pricing

A flat monthly cost based on users, not transactions. No surprise invoices. No penalty for growth. They could budget accurately for the first time in years.

Dedicated Success Manager

Not a ticket queue. A person who knew their account, understood their workflows, and was accountable for their success.

The Implementation

Timeline: 10 Weeks

Given the complexity—six offices, custom development, multi-currency setup—this wasn’t a 7-day implementation. But it was far shorter than the 6-9 months a legacy system would have required.

Week 1-2: Contract and Kickoff - Contract signed - Dedicated success manager assigned - Requirements confirmed for custom batch features - Data export from CargoWise initiated

Week 3-4: US Headquarters Pilot - Master data imported - US team trained - First shipments processed - Parallel running with CargoWise

Week 5-6: US Offices Go-Live - Remaining US offices transitioned - Workflow adjustments based on pilot learnings - Custom batch features delivered for testing

Week 7-8: Asia Offices Transition - Hong Kong and Vietnam offices trained (evening US / morning Asia sessions) - Multi-currency accounting configured - E-invoice compliance workflows validated

Week 9-10: China and Taiwan Go-Live - Final offices transitioned - Batch features deployed to production - Full adoption monitoring begins

Key Success Factor: Phased Rollout

They didn’t try to go live everywhere at once. The US headquarters served as a pilot, surfacing issues and refining training before rolling out to other offices. By the time Asia came online, the process was smooth.

The Training Difference

CargoWise Training (Before): - Months to proficiency for new hires - Formal certification requirements - Ongoing training for system updates - Staff reluctance to use advanced features

GoFreight Training (After): - Operations staff functional within 1 week - Accounting staff trained in 2-3 days - No certification required - Team actually uses the features they’re trained on

“The interface just makes sense. We’re not afraid to click on things anymore.” — Operations lead, Taiwan office

The Results

Quantified Improvements

Qualitative Improvements

• Reduced stress: No more invoice anxiety
• Unified visibility: All six offices on one platform
• Faster onboarding: New hires productive in weeks, not months
• Better customer service: Filing status visible instantly

Lessons Learned

1. Calculate True TCO, Not Just Invoice Cost Their CargoWise invoice wasn’t their true cost. The third-party tools, double-entry labor, and training overhead doubled their actual spend.

2. Don’t Let Fear of Switching Keep You Stuck The “trapped” narrative is powerful but not accurate. Yes, switching requires effort. But the effort is finite. The cost of staying on the wrong platform compounds forever.

3. Phased Rollout Reduces Risk Going live office by office let them learn and adjust. By the time they reached the final offices, implementation was routine.

4. Custom Features Are Possible They assumed batch operations would require them to compromise. Instead, they found a vendor willing to build what they needed.

5. Support Quality Matters The difference between a ticket queue and a dedicated success manager was transformational.

The Bottom Line

This company isn’t unique. They’re a typical mid-size forwarder who had outgrown their enterprise software. The complexity that once felt necessary had become a liability. The pricing that once seemed acceptable had become anxiety-inducing.

What made the difference wasn’t finding a “perfect” alternative. It was finding a platform that:

• Solved their specific pain points (batch operations, integrated filing)
• Offered predictable economics (per-user pricing)
• Provided partnership-level support (dedicated success manager)
• Could be implemented in weeks, not months

If their situation sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And you’re not trapped.

Next Steps

Is your situation similar? If you’re a multi-office forwarder dealing with:

• System complexity that slows you down
• Pricing anxiety and unpredictable costs
• Missing features for high-volume operations
• Third-party tool sprawl

We’d like to understand your specific requirements and show you what’s possible.

Schedule a Consultation →

No pressure. No obligation. Just an honest conversation about whether we can help.

Related Resources:

• How to Switch from CargoWise: Step-by-Step Migration Guide
• From Evaluation to Go-Live in 7 Days
• The Complete Guide to CargoWise Alternatives
• Learn more about our freight forwarding software or see our pricing.

Last updated: February 2026

Note: This case study is based on an actual GoFreight customer. Details have been anonymized to protect confidentiality. Contact us to request references from customers willing to share their experience directly.