Workflow Automation and Carrier Connections

This article explains how the Tai TMS lets you automate repetitive work with rules, and what it means for a carrier to be connected to the Tai TMS electronically (by API or EDI) so that dispatch, tracking, and invoicing can happen automatically.

Overview

The Tai TMS reduces manual work in two complementary ways. First, workflow automation lets you set up rules that watch for something to happen on a shipment and then take action on your behalf — for example, sending a message or advancing a step when a condition is met — so your team doesn't have to remember to do it by hand. Second, electronic connections to carriers (over an API or EDI link) let the system exchange information directly with a carrier's own systems, which is what makes automated dispatch, automatic tracking updates, and electronic invoicing possible. Together these features move routine load handling from manual phone calls and emails to hands-off, rule-driven processing.

How it works

Workflow automation rules. You build automation rules in the setup area of the Tai TMS. Each rule has the same basic shape:

A trigger / condition to watch for. A rule is tied to something that can happen to a shipment or in your operation — a status change, a milestone, or another event — that the system watches for.
Filters that narrow it down. You can scope a rule so it only runs for the shipments you care about — for example, only certain customers, certain lanes or regions, or shipments that match particular criteria — so the automation doesn't fire on loads it shouldn't touch.
One or more actions (steps) to perform. When a shipment matches the trigger and passes the filters, the rule carries out its steps automatically — such as sending an outgoing message or moving the work forward.
Optional scheduling. Rules can be scoped to run on a schedule or within particular time windows, so automation happens when you want it to.

You can create, duplicate, and delete rules, and you can test a rule before turning it loose, so you can confirm it behaves the way you expect. Once rules are live, the Tai TMS keeps a running record of what the automation did — which rules fired, what messages went out, and how well your automation is covering your shipments — so you can monitor and tune it over time.

Electronic carrier connections. Separately from automation rules, carriers can be connected to the Tai TMS electronically. There are two connection types:

API connection — a direct, real-time link to the carrier's system. Requests and responses happen right away.
EDI connection — a standardized electronic-document exchange. Documents are exchanged in batches rather than answered live, so it is slower than API.

A carrier's electronic connection is what powers three kinds of automation:

Automated dispatch — the Tai TMS can tender a load to the carrier electronically instead of you calling or emailing, and capture the carrier's acceptance and reference numbers automatically.
Automated tracking — the Tai TMS can pull the current status and milestone dates for a shipment from the carrier and normalize them into the standard Tai statuses.
Electronic invoicing — carriers can send their freight invoices to the Tai TMS electronically, and the system can match and auto-approve those bills when they fall within your tolerances.

Business rules & limits

A rule needs a trigger, and it acts only when its filters match. Automation runs when a shipment matches the rule's trigger and passes any filters you set. A rule with narrow filters will only act on the shipments that meet them, so scoping a rule is how you keep it from firing on the wrong loads.
Rule authoring and rule monitoring are separate places. You build and edit automation rules in the setup area, and you review what automation actually did (its activity log, coverage, and outgoing messages) in the monitoring area. Both are part of the same feature — one is where you configure it, the other is where you watch it.
Test before you rely on it. Because a live rule acts automatically, the Tai TMS provides a way to test a rule first. Use it to confirm the rule matches the right shipments and takes the right action before enabling it.
Automation and electronic connections are independent. Workflow automation rules work regardless of carrier connection type, and electronic dispatch/tracking/invoicing work whether or not you have automation rules set up. They complement each other but are configured separately.
EDI is slower than API (a real limitation). An API-connected carrier typically responds within seconds. An EDI-connected carrier exchanges documents in queued batches, so a dispatch acceptance or an incoming update over EDI can take from several minutes up to a few hours. Plan follow-up accordingly.
Automation only covers connected carriers for dispatch/tracking/invoicing. If a carrier has no electronic connection, the Tai TMS cannot dispatch to it, pull tracking from it, or receive electronic invoices from it automatically; those loads are handled manually. This is expected, not an error.
Electronic invoices are auto-approved only within tolerance. When a carrier's invoice arrives electronically, the Tai TMS compares it to the expected charges and auto-approves the bill only if the difference is within your configured overpay/underpay tolerance; otherwise it is flagged as a variance for a person to review rather than paid automatically.

Frequently asked questions

What is workflow automation in the Tai TMS?

In the Tai TMS, workflow automation is a set of rules you configure that watch for a condition or event on a shipment, optionally narrow down which shipments they apply to with filters, and then automatically perform one or more actions (such as sending a message or advancing work). It lets your team offload repetitive steps so they happen consistently without someone doing them by hand.

How do I make sure an automation rule only runs for the right shipments?

In the Tai TMS you scope a rule with filters — for example limiting it to certain customers, regions/lanes, or shipments that match specific criteria — and you can also schedule when it runs. Only shipments that match the rule's trigger and pass its filters will be acted on, so filtering is how you keep automation from firing on loads it shouldn't touch. You can test the rule first to confirm it behaves as expected.

Where do I see what my automation actually did?

In the Tai TMS, rule authoring and rule monitoring are in separate areas. You build and edit rules in the setup area, and you review what automation did — which rules fired, what outgoing messages were sent, and how well your automation is covering shipments — in the monitoring area. Checking the monitoring side is how you confirm automation is working and tune it.

What does it mean for a carrier to be "connected" to the Tai TMS?

In the Tai TMS, a connected carrier has an electronic link to the system, either an API connection (real-time) or an EDI connection (standardized document exchange). That connection is what lets the Tai TMS tender loads to the carrier electronically, pull tracking status from the carrier, and receive the carrier's invoices electronically — all without manual phone calls or emails.

What can an electronic carrier connection automate?

In the Tai TMS an electronic carrier connection powers three things: automated dispatch (tendering a load and capturing the carrier's acceptance and reference numbers), automated tracking (pulling the shipment's status and milestone dates from the carrier), and electronic invoicing (receiving the carrier's freight invoice electronically so the bill can be matched and, within tolerance, auto-approved).

What is the difference between an API connection and an EDI connection?

In the Tai TMS, an API connection is a direct real-time link to the carrier, so exchanges happen within seconds. An EDI connection is a standardized electronic-document exchange handled in queued batches, so it is slower — updates can take from several minutes up to a few hours. Both accomplish the same electronic exchange; API is near-instant while EDI is not.

Do I need automation rules to use electronic dispatch or tracking?

No. In the Tai TMS, electronic dispatch, tracking, and invoicing depend on a carrier's electronic connection, not on workflow automation rules, and they work on their own. Workflow automation rules are a separate feature you can layer on top to automate additional steps. You can use either feature without the other.

Will automation act on a carrier that isn't electronically connected?

Workflow automation rules can still run their configured actions (such as sending messages) regardless of a carrier's connection, but the specific automations that require talking to the carrier — electronic dispatch, tracking pulls, and receiving electronic invoices — only work for carriers that have an electronic (API or EDI) connection. Loads on unconnected carriers are dispatched, tracked, and billed manually.