Automated Logistics Quote Generation via NLP Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The transportation and logistics industry faces challenges with manual handling of shipping requests, leading to tedious and repetitive tasks for workers, resulting in overwhelmed employees and inefficient margin management.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that automatically identifies, extracts information from, and generates quotes for logistics requests using natural language processing, optical character recognition, and robotic process automation, allowing for automated quote generation and display, and storage in a database.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual handling of shipping requests is used, then workers can process requests with human judgment, but workers become overwhelmed and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where the automated quoting validator independently extracts information from logistics requests, generates quotes, and validates pricing without requiring manual worker intervention for each request. This allows the system to serve itself in processing routine quoting tasks while maintaining accuracy through automated validation rules.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual process of workers reviewing and generating quotes with an automated computer-based system that uses optical character recognition, natural language processing, and automated validation algorithms to perform the same function at scale without human physical intervention.
2Productivity
If automated quote generation is implemented, then productivity increases and workers are relieved of tedious tasks, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated quoting system is divided into distinct functional modules: an information extraction module that captures data from logistics requests, a quote generation module that creates pricing quotes, and a validation module that verifies accuracy. This segmentation allows each component to be developed and maintained independently, managing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated quoting validator serves as an intermediary layer between the quote generation process and final output, mediating by automatically validating extracted information and generated quotes against predefined criteria. This intermediary function simplifies the overall system by centralizing validation logic in a dedicated component rather than distributing complexity across multiple systems.
3Loss of time
If manual processing is used, then system complexity remains low, but loss of time increases due to repetitive tasks
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring validation rules, pricing parameters, and extraction templates before processing logistics requests. This preliminary setup enables the automated system to quickly process requests without requiring complex real-time decision-making infrastructure, reducing both time loss and system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a system and method for automatically obtaining and processing logistics requests is provided. Embodiments include automatically identifying, using a processor, a logistics request from a logistics request receiver. In response to automatically identifying, embodiments include extracting information from the logistics request and providing the extracted information to an automated quoting validator. Embodiments also include automatically generating at least one quote for the request at the automated quoting validator based upon, at least in part, one or more user defined parameters.