How SFL helped African Logistics Services modernise warehouse operations, strengthen inventory control and turn greater operational visibility into measurable business growth.
African Logistics Services had built a growing logistics business across South Africa, with warehousing forming an important part of its service portfolio.
As that operation expanded, however, the warehouse processes supporting it were still heavily manual. Inventory records, stock checks, billing preparation and day-to-day warehouse activity depended on paper-based processes and repeated human intervention.
That approach had worked at an earlier stage of the business. At a larger scale, it was becoming harder to maintain the same level of speed, consistency and visibility.
ALS wanted a warehouse operating model that could support continued growth, standardise processes across locations and give both its teams and customers a more reliable view of inventory.
SFL was selected to implement CargoWise Warehouse and redesign the processes around it.
The Client
African Logistics Services is a South African logistics provider headquartered in Durban, with operations across six branches and a service portfolio spanning freight forwarding, customs, transport and warehousing.
At the time of the engagement, ALS operated warehouse facilities across Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town, including bonded warehouse operations.
Warehousing was already an established part of the business. The opportunity was to give the operation a stronger technology and process foundation as volumes and customer requirements continued to grow.
The Challenge: A Growing Warehouse Operation Needed Stronger System Control
The existing warehouse model relied heavily on manual record keeping.
Inventory updates, physical stock checks and storage-charge verification required significant input from warehouse teams. As volumes increased, maintaining master data, avoiding duplicate product records and keeping stock information current became more demanding.
The same pressure carried into billing. Warehouse managers needed to review physical inventory and storage information before monthly charges could be finalised, adding work at the end of each billing cycle.
Processes also varied across locations. ALS wanted stronger SOPs, clearer approval controls and a more consistent operating model between branches and head office.
The issue was not simply replacing paper with software.
ALS needed to connect inventory, warehouse locations, tasks, billing and reporting inside one controlled process so the business could continue scaling without adding the same amount of administrative work behind every increase in stock volume.
Why ALS Chose SFL
ALS reviewed multiple WMS options and implementation partners before selecting CargoWise Warehouse with SFL. The decision came down to a combination of platform depth and practical warehouse experience:
- CargoWise Warehouse specialisation. SFL has delivered 28+ CargoWise Warehouse implementations, including standard and bonded warehouse environments.
- Warehouse process expertise. The engagement covered more than system configuration. SFL could work across warehouse structure, locations, inventory controls, workflows, tasks, billing and operational processes.
- Data and migration capability. SFL could address master-data quality and duplicate product records before migrating live inventory into the new environment.
- Structured implementation methodology. The project could move from discovery and blueprinting into process design, pilot deployment and wider rollout rather than attempting a system-wide change in one step.
- CargoWise depth beyond WMS. SFL’s wider capability across Forwarding, Finance, Customs, Workflow and Integration meant the warehouse environment could be designed as part of the client’s broader logistics operation rather than as a standalone system.
The SFL Solution: Design the Warehouse Operation Before Configuring the WMS
SFL began by understanding how the warehouses operated in practice.
The first two weeks were used to review existing processes, master data, product records and the way physical warehouse space was being managed. This gave the project team a clear view of what needed to be standardised before configuration began.
Blueprint workshops were then held with warehouse users and warehouse leadership. Together, SFL and ALS defined the future process flow and aligned the SOPs that would govern the operation once CargoWise Warehouse went live.
That sequence was important. Rather than reproduce the existing manual processes inside a new system, the project first established how ALS wanted the warehouses to operate going forward.
Creating a Stronger Inventory Foundation
Master data and product records were reviewed before migration.
Duplicate product codes and inconsistent data were addressed so the new warehouse environment could begin from a cleaner foundation. Existing inventory was then prepared for migration into CargoWise.
The physical warehouse structure was also brought into the system. Defined storage locations allowed inventory to be recorded against where it was actually held, giving warehouse teams greater control over stock movement and location.
Moving Daily Warehouse Activity Into CargoWise
Once the operating model was agreed, routine warehouse activity moved into the CargoWise task and workflow environment.
Daily tasks could be assigned and tracked through the system. Stock reporting became system-generated and pre-scheduled. Warehouse movements, packaging and repacking could be managed through a more consistent process rather than relying on paper-based execution.
Periodic billing was also automated, reducing the amount of manual checking required at month-end before storage charges could be raised.
The result was a warehouse process in which inventory movements, task execution, reporting and billing were connected rather than managed as separate administrative activities.
Proving the Model Before Rolling It Out
Because the new WMS represented a significant change to day-to-day warehouse operations, SFL and ALS first implemented the model in one facility.
This gave the project team the opportunity to validate the process, system configuration and user experience in a live environment before expanding it across the wider warehouse network.
Once the model had been proven, ALS extended CargoWise Warehouse across its other facilities.
The Results
The implementation changed both the capacity and commercial performance of the warehouse operation.
256% Increase in warehouse productivity
ALS was able to manage significantly more stock through a warehouse environment supported by structured locations, system-driven tasks, stronger inventory data and automated reporting. SFL continues to use this engagement as a core proof point for its CargoWise Warehouse implementation practice.
27% Increase in new-client onboarding
Greater operational consistency and inventory visibility strengthened the warehouse proposition, supporting an increase in new customer onboarding.
58% Increase in overall company revenue
Following the transformation, warehousing became the company’s most profitable service line.
The operational gains underneath those numbers were equally important:
- Periodic warehouse billing automated
- Real-time inventory visibility introduced
- Paper-based daily warehouse processing removed
- Defined stock locations established across the operation
- SOPs and approval processes standardised
- Labour and maintenance costs reduced
- Stock transfers, packaging and repacking simplified
Is Your Warehouse Operation Ready for Its Next Stage of Growth?
Warehouse growth puts pressure on more than physical capacity. Inventory control, billing, reporting, task management and customer visibility all have to scale with it.
SFL Tech helps 3PLs, freight forwarders and warehouse operators design and implement CargoWise Warehouse environments around the way their operations actually work—from blueprinting and master-data preparation through configuration, migration, training and post-go-live optimisation.
SFL has delivered 28+ CargoWise Warehouse implementations as part of a wider CargoWise practice spanning more than 50 countries. If your warehouse is growing and the processes behind it need to scale with it, talk to SFL Tech about CargoWise Warehouse.
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