TRADLINX

1. Customer Overview: A Specialist in Charcoal Imports from Southeast Asia

Asan Charcoal specializes in importing high-quality charcoal from Southeast Asia and distributing it across the domestic market.

Because imported materials are central to its business, supply chain management plays a critical role in ensuring containers arrive at Korean ports on time and move smoothly into the domestic distribution network.

For Asan Charcoal, shipment visibility is not just about checking cargo location. It is directly tied to inventory planning, distribution schedules, and stable product supply.

2. The Challenge: Manual Tracking Across Carrier Sites and Excel Files

For companies importing large volumes of containers, shipment visibility directly affects business performance.

Before adopting TRADLINX, Asan Charcoal’s supply chain operations relied heavily on manual work.

The biggest challenge was container tracking. To check where shipments were, staff had to log into multiple carrier websites and search B/L numbers one by one.

Once they found the relevant schedule and location information, they then had to re-enter that data manually into internal documents such as Excel files.

This process was time-consuming and created a constant risk of human error. Missing information, typing mistakes, or delayed updates could affect the reliability of internal shipment records.

The team also had limited ability to identify ETA changes or shipment delays in real time. When vessel schedules changed unexpectedly, it was difficult to respond proactively.

Asan Charcoal needed a faster, more accurate way to manage import container movement online.

3. Asan Charcoal’s TRADLINX Workflow: Migrating Excel-Based Tracking into Automated Import Visibility

To overcome the limits of manual tracking and build a more digital logistics operation, Asan Charcoal adopted TRADLINX Ocean Visibility.

What made the transition practical was that the team did not have to rebuild its entire workflow from scratch. Asan Charcoal had already been managing shipment references such as B/L numbers and container numbers in Excel. With TRADLINX Ocean Visibility, the team could simply copy those existing numbers and paste them into the platform. From there, the system automatically brings in the shipment information needed for cargo management, including location, schedule, and status updates.

This allowed Asan Charcoal to migrate its existing Excel-based tracking workflow into a more automated visibility process with minimal disruption.

Turning Excel-based manual tracking into automated shipment updates

Before TRADLINX, staff had to move between multiple carrier websites, search B/L numbers one by one, and manually enter the schedule and location information back into Excel.

Now, once a Master B/L number or container number is entered into TRADLINX Ocean Visibility, the system connects global carrier data with satellite AIS information and automatically updates shipment location and status on the dashboard.

What used to be a manual process of searching, copying, and re-entering data is now managed through one automated platform. This helped Asan Charcoal reduce repetitive work while also lowering the risk of omissions, typing errors, and delayed internal updates.

Proactive response through real-time delay monitoring

In ocean freight, delays can happen for many reasons, including bad weather and port congestion.

Asan Charcoal actively uses TRADLINX Ocean Visibility’s real-time status updates and delay monitoring capabilities. When ETA changes or unusual shipment activity is detected, the team can identify it through the platform’s real-time data.

This means the team is doing more than simply checking location.

When delays are expected, they can review domestic inventory, adjust distribution schedules, and take action earlier to minimize business impact. For a company importing charcoal from Southeast Asia and distributing it domestically, that earlier visibility helps the team protect supply continuity and respond before shipment delays affect downstream operations.

“Each person in charge actively uses the platform to monitor the status of their shipments in real time and take action in advance when delays are expected.”
— Sooik Jeong, Asan Charcoal

4. Results: 50% Higher Efficiency and Fewer Manual Errors

After implementing TRADLINX Ocean Visibility, Asan Charcoal’s logistics operations improved significantly.

More than 50% higher logistics management efficiency

The repetitive work once required to look up shipment locations and update internal documents was largely eliminated.

With automated tracking in place, shipment management became much faster. As a result, overall logistics management efficiency improved by more than 50%.

Reduced human error from manual data entry

Automated data updates also helped Asan Charcoal reduce the risk of omissions and typing mistakes that can occur in manual workflows.

With shipment status and location data updated through the platform, the team could work from more reliable information. This improved both processing speed and the accuracy of logistics decision-making.

A more proactive import logistics process

TRADLINX Ocean Visibility also gave Asan Charcoal a stronger foundation for responding before delays created operational problems.

Instead of waiting until a delay affected the distribution schedule, the team could monitor shipment movement earlier and prepare follow-up actions in advance.

Asan Charcoal used TRADLINX Ocean Visibility to move away from manual container tracking across carrier websites and Excel files.

By automating shipment updates through Master B/L registration, global carrier data, and satellite AIS information, the company built a faster and more accurate way to manage import shipments.

The result was more than 50% higher logistics management efficiency, fewer manual data-entry errors, and a more proactive process for responding to shipment delays.