There’s a moment every logistics team knows too well: a shipment is ready to move, the supplier invoice is still nowhere to be found, and your team is stuck waiting to complete the file. That delay might seem small, but when you’re handling hundreds of LCL and loose shipments every week, those missing documents turn into obstacles, customer frustration, and unnecessary back-and-forth.
CargoWise now solves this problem with a smart enhancement inside Advanced Order Manager, the ability to generate commercial invoices directly from Supplier Bookings for LCL (Less than Container Load) and LSE (Loose) cargo.
Let’s break down how the feature works, why teams should embrace it, and where it fits into today’s increasingly time-sensitive supply chain environment.
What Makes Commercial Invoices From Supplier Bookings So Valuable Today?
Commercial invoices are not “just paperwork.” They drive customs clearance, cargo planning, billing accuracy, and compliance across global borders. But the reality is:
Suppliers don’t always send invoices on time.
Documents often contain incomplete or inconsistent data.
Operations teams are forced to manually reconcile information from email attachments, PDFs, or spreadsheets.
In LCL and loose cargo movements, especially for CFS operations, forwarders often need documentation much earlier than suppliers can provide it. That’s why CargoWise now enables teams to create commercial invoices using the actual data from their own Supplier Booking and Order lines.
It gives you:
- A complete, accurate document ready when you are
- A standardized format across all suppliers
- Control over information instead of chasing it
And most importantly, it supports faster job creation, faster customs processes, and smoother freight execution.
How does CargoWise Build the Commercial Invoice Automatically?
When your Supplier Booking meets the right conditions, CargoWise creates the invoice by pulling real data directly from:
- Orders
- Order Lines
- Supplier Booking received quantities
This fully eliminates retyping, copy-paste errors, and manual formatting.
The commercial invoice becomes available when:
- The booking is LCL or LSE
- The Load Mode is Container Freight Station (CFS)
- The CFS Receipt/Receiving Complete process has been completed
Once those conditions are met, a new document option appears under:
Supplier Booking → Documents → Commercial Invoice
This works in both the CargoWise desktop application and the Web Portal.
What Information does the System Automatically Populate?
CargoWise compiles the commercial invoice by matching your Order and Supplier Booking fields. Here’s a simplified view of how the system generates the document:
- Key Supplier & Buyer Details
- Supplier/Consignor
- Buyer/Consignee
- Order Numbers
- Incoterms
- Origin & Destination
- Ports of Loading and Discharge
All pulled directly from your Supplier Booking.
- Line-Level Product Data
- Part Number
- Product Description
- HS Code
- Country of Origin
- Total Received Quantity
- Total Received Weight
- Unit Price
- Total Line Price
CargoWise calculates the total line value based on:
- Total Received Quantity × Unit Price
- Additional System-Generated Fields
- Date and place of issue
- Signatory and company details
- Customizable declaration text
Because this is built from your operational data, not supplier documents, you get consistency, accuracy, and real-time visibility.
Why Does this Matter So Much for LCL and Loose Cargo Operations?
LCL and loose cargo tend to have more moving parts:
- Multiple order lines
- Multiple suppliers
- Variable receiving quantities
- Complex CFS workflows
- Short turnaround times
Delays in supplier documentation make this harder. This new CargoWise function helps teams stay ahead by creating documentation as soon as receiving is complete.
Here’s why teams love this:
1. Faster export or import documentation
You no longer need to wait for suppliers to send their invoices, your team can generate one immediately.
2. Fewer compliance risks
Data mismatches and manual entry errors drop dramatically.
3. Improved CFS efficiency
CFS teams can finalize documentation right when receiving is confirmed.
4. Better customer experience
You can send clean, accurate documentation early, especially when customers rely on you for visibility.
5. Standardized invoice formats
Regardless of supplier inconsistencies, your output is neat and uniform.
Where Does the Data Come From? (And Why It Matters)
One of the strengths of CargoWise is its single-source-of-truth structure. Every piece of data on the commercial invoice is tied back to an operational record.
This means:
- When the Order Manager data is clean, your commercial invoice is 100% accurate.
- If a supplier updates quantities, the invoice reflects what you actually received.
- Your teams can trust that the documentation mirrors real-world cargo movements.
It also means your internal workflows, receiving, booking confirmation, and order management, are critical to creating reliable invoices.
Important Limitation You Should Know
If your Supplier Booking includes multiple currencies, CargoWise will not generate the invoice.
Why? Because the system must calculate accurate pricing and totals. Mixing currencies within the same document would create incorrect totals, mismatched customs values, and compliance issues.
The fix is simple: Ensure your booked lines use a single currency before generating the invoice.
How Can Forwarders Include this in their Processes?
To maximize the benefit, your team should integrate this feature into your standard workflow:
For suppliers with delayed or inconsistent invoicing
Create your own system-generated invoice to keep operations moving.
For CFS-heavy operations
Use the invoice as part of your CFS receipt completion workflow.
For customers who demand fast document delivery
Offer a standardized, early document output as a value-added service.
For customs-driven shipments
Generate the invoice early to accelerate clearance preparation.
This is especially powerful in regions where suppliers often send incomplete paperwork, or where LCL volumes are high and time is tight.
Conclusion
CargoWise’s new commercial invoice generation feature is more than a document tool, it’s a workflow accelerator. When built into your internal process, it removes delays, reduces manual work, and ensures the documentation follows the cargo, not the other way around.
If your CargoWise setup, workflow design, or data management needs improvement, we can help you configure Order Manager, Supplier Bookings, and document automation to work exactly the way your operations need.
Looking to Enhance Your CargoWise Setup?
As a CargoWise service partner, we help logistics teams streamline workflows, configure Order Manager, automate documents, and eliminate operational delays.
Book a demo today and optimize CargoWise for smoother LCL workflows and end-to-end efficiency.
