- Who is this for?
- Sales administration, invoicing, finance and operations teams
- Question addressed
- Understand end-to-end transport invoice control.
Key takeaways
- A difference is not automatically an error.
- Evidence of the performed service must be linked before the expected charges are calculated.
- The check must explain the likely cause and identify the sources used.
- Once validated, decisions and corrections improve subsequent checks.
- From the carrier’s perspective, invoice control protects the completeness and accuracy of revenue without treating a discrepancy as earned income.
- Planned, performed, billable and invoiced are four distinct states: every transition between them must be supported.
- An actionable check links each line to its supporting records, the applicable rate version and the conditions actually met.
- Detected, confirmed and resolved are different statuses; no discrepancy should trigger an automatic correction on its own.
Three representations of the same operation
| Layer | Question | Example sources |
|---|---|---|
| Planned | What was requested and accepted? | Order, rate, time slot, customer rules. |
| Performed | What actually happened? | Statuses, CMR consignment note, waiting time, amendment, evidence. |
| Invoiced | Which services and charges appear? | Invoice, self-billed invoice, draft invoice, line-item details. |
The control workflow
- 01Receive
Identify the document, its period and its issuer.
- 02Link
Find the shipment or group of shipments concerned.
- 03Reconstruct
Bring together the rate, rules, amendments and performed-service data.
- 04Calculate
Build the expected charges using the validated rules.
- 05Compare
Identify and classify the differences.
- 06Prepare the decision
Compile the evidence for validation, correction or dispute.
- 07Track
Retain the status and resolution of the discrepancy record.
Example: two missing surcharges
The record contains an amendment received less than 24 hours before the operation and documented waiting time at the dock. The invoice received contains neither corresponding surcharge. The control workflow flags two separate differences, each linked to its event and potential rule.
The team must still confirm that the contractual conditions have been met. The workflow is designed to reduce reconstruction time and present an explainable decision, not to turn every difference into an automatic dispute.
Metrics that teams can act on
Recovered or avoided amounts should only be published with a verifiable method, period and scope. No generic figure is claimed here.
- rate of documents linked to the correct record;
- discrepancies by cause and customer;
- amounts awaiting a decision;
- time from detection to resolution;
- share of discrepancies confirmed, corrected or rejected;
- rules and sources responsible for manual rework.
Take the carrier’s view of revenue
For a carrier, invoice control means checking that performed operations and potentially billable services are represented correctly in a draft invoice, self-billed invoice or issued invoice. The focus is the carrier’s expected revenue, not a shipper-side audit of transport spend.
A performed service may not be billable, may become billable later, or may require supporting evidence and a contractual rule. Conversely, one invoiced line may cover several shipments or a later adjustment. Reconciliation therefore needs four separate reference points.
| Reference point | Control question | What it does not prove on its own |
|---|---|---|
| Planned | Which operation and conditions were requested or accepted? | That the operation was performed or is billable. |
| Performed | Which events and services are supported by evidence? | That every billing condition has been met. |
| Billable | Which services meet the rules and evidence requirements that apply to the record? | That the line has already been issued, accepted or paid. |
| Invoiced | Which lines, quantities and amounts appear on the document under review? | That the amount is correct, accepted or paid. |
Supporting-record checklist before comparison
The useful checklist depends on the applicable agreement and validated workflow. The aim is not to collect every possible document, but to use the correct version of each source and link it unambiguously to the shipment concerned.
| Item to check | Possible records or data | Control to perform |
|---|---|---|
| Statement scope | Draft invoice, self-billed invoice, issued invoice, line-item schedule, period. | Identify the document type, issuer, version and period covered. |
| Shipment identity | Order reference, shipment or trip number, customer, origin, destination. | Link each line to one record or flag competing candidates. |
| Plan and amendments | Original order, amendment, email, portal entry, approved instruction. | Use the latest applicable version without overwriting the history. |
| Performed service | Timestamped statuses, proof of delivery, CMR consignment note, operations message, waiting-time event. | Check the source, date and consistency with the record. |
| Billing rule | Agreement, rate card, free-time allowance, tier, approval or validated exception. | Identify the version, scope and conditions that were actually met. |
| Invoiced line | Description, quantity, basis, rate, surcharge, credit or adjustment. | Compare at the same level of detail and explain consolidations or timing differences. |
| Decision and tracking | Comment, attached evidence, owner, action, reply and final check. | Retain who confirmed the discrepancy, what was decided and how resolution was verified. |
A line-by-line control method
- 01Classify the document received
Determine whether it is a draft invoice, self-billed invoice, issued invoice or preparatory statement, then record its period and version.
- 02Link the lines
Connect every line to the correct record and isolate missing, duplicate or ambiguous references.
- 03Reconstruct what was planned
Retrieve the accepted order, its amendments and the relevant version of the rating rule.
- 04Establish what was performed
Assemble available events and supporting records without filling missing information with assumptions.
- 05Determine what is billable
Apply the validated conditions for the agreement or workflow and flag any evidence that is still missing.
- 06Compare with what was invoiced
Check omissions, duplicates, quantities, amounts, consolidations, timing differences and adjustments.
- 07Classify each discrepancy
Record the possible cause, sources used, confidence level and person responsible for confirmation.
- 08Decide, then verify
Approve, complete, correct or dispute according to permissions, then verify the outcome before closure.
Do not confuse detected, confirmed and resolved discrepancies
A detected discrepancy may be caused by a late document, consolidated lines, a timing difference or uncertain matching. It proves neither an error nor a receivable or recoverable amount. Even after confirmation, it should lead to an automatic correction only when the action, its limits and the post-action check have been explicitly authorized in the workflow.
| Status | What the status means | Expected next step |
|---|---|---|
| Detected | A difference or omission appears between two representations of the record. | Look for a version, supporting document, consolidation or rule that could explain it. |
| Confirmed | The applicable sources and conditions have been checked and the difference requires a decision. | Select the authorized action, its owner and the evidence to provide. |
| Resolved | The chosen action produced a verified, traceable outcome. | Retain the reply, any correction, the final check and the reason for closure. |
Frequently asked questions
Direct answers
Does Vigilo only check self-billing?
No. The scope covers reconciliation of the planned, performed and invoiced layers; the exact document types and actions depend on the workflow.
Does a discrepancy automatically trigger a dispute?
No. A difference must be classified. Sensitive decisions and cases outside the rules remain under human control.
Can invoice control be the first deployment?
Yes. This entry point can be deployed separately from order intake.
What is the difference between performed and billable?
Performed describes what happened and can be supported by evidence. Billable describes the part that meets the conditions applicable to the record; the two sets are not necessarily identical.
Which supporting documents should always be requested?
There is no universal list. Start with the agreement, service type and validated workflow, then check the version and matching of every useful record.
Is a shipment missing from a draft invoice necessarily lost revenue?
No. It may be incomplete, consolidated, deferred to another period, cancelled or outside the scope reviewed. The omission must be classified before it is treated as a confirmed anomaly.
Can Vigilo automatically correct every discrepancy?
No. A discrepancy is first detected and then confirmed. Automated action is possible only within an authorized scope, using a validated rule and an outcome check; ambiguous or sensitive cases return to the team.
Sources and methodology
This resource describes Axonovia's product approach based on transport workflows. The examples are illustrative and do not constitute a performance commitment or a universally applicable contractual rule.
Product review: Axonovia team · next review recommended before 31 August 2027 or following a material change in scope.