From data entry operators to digital management: how WELLGO operations managers become architects of logistics analytics

Until mid-2022, our colleagues worked in a single global Transport Management (TMS) system, which provided transportation management functionality, data exchange with global and local carriers, and statistical data for management reporting. In addition, the IT infrastructure included the 1C platform with various accounting modules for different types of transport and services. These were developed even before the transition to a legacy global system. After the company's transformation and the departure of foreign IT operators from Russia, WELLGO faced an increasingly pressing problem – this being an excessive workload on operational staff, caused by the routine of manual data entry. There were differences in data from the accounting, operational and commercial systems. All of this not only reduced efficiency, but also slowed down the digital initiatives necessary for growth.

In essence, the transport file became a reporting document, populated post factum. Analytics were available mainly in the form of summary Excel files, the relevance and completeness of which were sometimes questionable. Staff resources were spent not on process optimization, but on repetitive manual tasks.

This situation became the starting point for launching two key projects - the creation of a new unified type of transportation file in 1C - the "Single File" project - and the implementation of a BI (Business Intelligence) platform for analytics development. They became the basis of our strategy of transition from "data entry" to "data management".

The implementation of a digital architecture is based on seamlessness - the exchange of data between systems without human intervention. We realized that the speed and ease of system integration is the key to obtaining a single, customizable and manageable data array. That is why the project of a single transportation file was conceived not just as an interface improvement, but as a "platform" for the integration of all subsequent digital solutions: CRM, BI, API, connections with TMS of external suppliers and client ERPs.

The Single File project in 1C became the technical and conceptual basis for this transformation. We unified reference files, eliminated duplicate functionality and redesigned user interfaces. In addition, WELLGO implemented new logic for determining the direction of transportation, types of transport, and routes. These changes made it possible to transition from an accounting system to a management system. The data in the file is now completed not just for the sake of reporting, but to obtain useful information for business intelligence, automatically calculate KPIs, and generate notifications and documents.

This is not just an update of the 1C system - it is the creation of a standard that can be relied upon to build a digital logistics framework.

A guiding principle of the transformation resulted in a paradigm shift: from “people as a source of data” to “colleagues as users and information managers.” To achieve this, it was necessary to give our staff access to complete, up-to-date and transparent data, built into the process – that is, inclusion.

Along with the creation of a corporate data warehouse (Data Lake), we have moved to a stage where data has become capital, not a by-product. Data Lake brings together data from different systems and standardizes it, creating a single repository for BI analytics, integrations, and, eventually, with on-premises AI models.

The BI tool became the first system in which WELLGO staff received a promptly updated picture of operational activities, end-to-end transparency and adaptive filtering. Daily and monthly dashboards now allow visibility not just on numbers, but the dynamics of processes: from open transport files to team KPIs. We supplemented retrospective analysis with real-time monitoring, which gives the ability to manage future events and risks.

The new data architecture allows us to move to a platform model – with an API bus, and formalized entry and exit points of information. Now there is no need to build point-to-point integration with each external solution. Any connection – be it a client portal, a quotation platform, a CRM or a supplier – is carried out through standardized interfaces. This reduces the labor intensity of projects, simplifies support and gives businesses the opportunity to quickly launch new digital services.

WELLGO are moving towards a model where data becomes a key resource. Whoever owns it, owns not only analytics, but also the ability to scale, automate, and adapt to the market. Therefore, our work on structuring, cleaning, and standardizing data continues. It is important to understand that data quality is not only an IT task, it is the responsibility of the entire business.

If the first stage of digital transformation was about standardization, the next one is about intelligence. The vectors of further development are clear. Firstly, the development of a digital assistant – an AI platform that will help the manager in making decisions at all stages of transportation. This is a supplement to human expertise, not a substitution. The planned projects of automatic processing of quotations, filling out transport applications and document recognition have a high potential from the use of AI assistants. These enable error identification or deviations, and will speed up routine processes. Secondly, integration with partner and client platforms in real time, via API. Finally, we will see the development of Data Governance – formalization of data management processes and the introduction of data owner roles on the business side.

Digital logistics is not just automation. It is a reassembly of processes, a change in roles, and a rethinking of staff functions, from the role of data entry to the role of data architect.

IT in this process is not a service function, but a partner and driver of change. Speed and ease of integration are becoming a critical advantage. Data is the currency of the digital age, and AI is one of the keys to mastering it. For WELLGO, 2025 has become the year of transition from "doing" to "understanding and managing".

Notably, the main change is in the team's mentality. Previously, we were hostages to spreadsheets, where we "owned" but did not manage the files. Today, data is our working language.