Customer Success Story: Turning Export Documentation from a Bottleneck into a Competitive Advantage

Introduction

Sealink operates at the epicenter of global trade. As a leading freight forwarder ranking as the number two exporter from the United States last year, the company manages thousands of shipments every month. In the high stakes world of third-party logistics (3PL), precision is the primary currency. Every shipment depends on flawless documentation and rapid execution.

With teams in the United States and a large back-office operation in India, Sealink built its reputation on operational excellence. However, as volumes surged, the complexity of managing export documentation began to strain their processes. CEO Shaizad Shroff realized that to continue growing, the company needed to fundamentally reimagine how it handled critical shipment data.

The Challenge: Manual Work in a Digital World

Before its transformation, Sealink’s documentation process was a gauntlet of manual labor. Shipping instructions and Bills of Lading arrived in a chaotic mix of formats including Excel, Word, PDFs, email bodies, and even WhatsApp or text messages.

Each document required a human eye to review and interpret, followed by repetitive data entry into multiple systems: the Transportation Management System (TMS) known as GAMA, export filing tools, and carrier portals. This repetition was more than a time-sink; it made human error inevitable. Sealink had attempted to automate three times before with other vendors, but those solutions failed to deliver, with accuracy rates stuck below 10%.

The Solution: AI Built for the Complexity of Logistics

Sealink collaborated with Levity to modernize the processing of Bills of Lading. Unlike previous vendors who offered cookie-cutter products, Levity’s leadership was directly involved in tailoring the solution to Sealink’s specific requirements.

A pivotal breakthrough occurred when Sealink implemented a strategy to convert all incoming documents into a consistent internal format before extraction. This technical pivot was the turning point. Accuracy soared from under 10% to over 90% almost overnight. Levity then integrated directly with Sealink’s TMS via API. This allowed extracted data to flow instantly into the correct fields, eliminating the need for manual re-entry.

In Their Own Words

Shaizad Shroff, CEO of Sealink, emphasizes that the partnership succeeded because of Levity's commitment to solving the actual problem rather than just selling a tool:

"What made the difference was that they actually listened to us. We explained our problem, and instead of trying to sell a generic product, they worked with us until the solution truly fit our needs. If I don’t hear Levity’s name during the day, that means everything is running smoothly, and that’s exactly what you want from a partner".

The Transformation: From Firefighting to Strategic Growth

The impact on Sealink’s operations was immediate. Tasks that once took 5 to 10 minutes per document reduced to seconds of automated processing. The shift was as much cultural as it was operational. After years of failed automation attempts, the team’s skepticism evolved into genuine trust.

Automation has become a silent partner, a dependable foundation that works in the background. Most importantly, Sealink unlocked a new growth model, enabling them to absorb higher volumes without a linear increase in back-office headcount.

Measurable Results

• Accuracy: Increased from under 10% to nearly 100%.

• Efficiency: Hundreds of hours saved by eliminating manual entry across multiple systems.

• Scalability: Ability to grow volume without a corresponding increase in back-office headcount.

• Operational State: Transitioned from high human error to a state of quiet reliability.

Advice for the Industry

For other companies exploring AI automation, Shroff offers this strategic advice:

"If the customer knows exactly what they need, I believe that Levity is flexible enough to work with you to customize your case, and that is the best thing that I like about them".

Conclusion: A Blueprint for Modern Logistics

Sealink’s journey proves that meaningful automation does not require rebuilding your business from scratch. By combining AI-driven processing with seamless integration and a flexible partnership, they transformed a notorious bottleneck into a scalable engine for growth.