Windward (LSE: WNWD) launched its AI-Powered Detention & Demurrage (D&D) Automation solution, in what it is calling a first step in a mission to revolutionize global trade with Gen-AI-powered automation. Designed to eliminate the persistent cost uncertainty plaguing freight forwarders, the D&D automation solution processes customer contracts at scale. It calculates and communicates actual D&D costs in real time by accounting for all variables ranging from tariff extraction to shipment mapping and contract details.
Detention and Demurrage (D&D) charges are a critical problem in the industry and are among the most persistent and costly challenges in freight forwarding and supply chains. Forwarders operate in a chaotic, high-volume environment with fragmented ecosystems and contracts that differ by carrier, port, cargo type, currency, and customer terms, with D&D charges ranging from $75 to $300 per container per day.
Windward’s D&D Automation solution gives back control to the freight forwarders and eliminates these inefficiencies by providing a real-time, automated approach to detention and demurrage management. The platform considers customer-specific tariffs, port-specific terms, free days, holidays, and working hours. By processing customers' unstructured data (e.g., tariffs, contracts) at scale, Windward enables the shift of these processes to AI-driven automation, accelerating invoicing cycles for freight forwarders and reducing the billing time from over 30 days to under a minute.
“Demurrage and detention have traditionally been a complex process that has required a lot of human resources to manage and coordinate for both customers and us as forwarders. At Rhenus Logistics, we are always looking for innovative technologies. We now have a substantially more efficient procedure by integrating Windward automation into our Detention and Demurrage processes. This increases the speed and enhances the efficiency of the detention and demurrage calculations performed by our operations teams today,” said Alberto Martinez, VP Global Ocean Freight at Rhenus Logistics.
The solution also enhances financial control, enabling companies to verify carrier invoices instantly, detect discrepancies, and proactively prevent overcharges. Windward empowers teams to optimize costs, strengthen customer trust, and maintain financial agility by automating and eliminating challenging manual workflows, including the frustrating reconciliation process.
